Before It Gets Dark
by cherryblossomx6
Summary: He was the great King of Heroes and she was just a mere girl who happened to catch his interest. To think that she would become his friend, or even his greatest treasure, was something even he could not predict happening. He supposes he will allow it. She admired him since the very beginning after all, and after a short while, he finds himself admiring her just as much if not more.
1. Chapter 1

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 ** _I was going through some of my old files, and I stumbled upon this forgotten project of mine. I figured I_** ** _should just go ahead and upload it, since it's doing nothing at all being saved onto my laptop and hidden away._**

 ** _I'm not sure entirely where I was going with this, but, oh well,_** ٩◔‿◔۶

 _ **I'm sure someone out there will enjoy it, and as I love to share my writing, here ya go!**_

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* * *

 **Introduction**

 _Sitting in a field of flowers and beneath a fully bloomed wisteria tree. A cool breeze blowing and causing a shower of petals the color of violet and ivory to rain down. The sky stained with a striking array of yellows, pinks, blues, and oranges. There is no scene more beautiful than this._

 _The fact that the King of Heroes would think such a thing should be impossible. Finding beauty in such an ordinary scene, it shouldn't be possible. However, he met her. Fate sure is strange. Gilgamesh's crimson eyes gaze downwards and at the head in his lap._

 _Her eyes are closed and there is a small and content smile on her face. He moves his hand, lightly running his fingers through her hair and brushing her bangs back. She hums softly and slowly opens her dark eyes. The thick layer of moisture covering them makes him frown._

" _Why do you cry?" He asks and pinches her cheek. "You know nothing angers me more than seeing your tears."_

" _I'm not even crying." She grabs his wrist, prying his hand away from her cheek._

" _You're about to." He leans over her and moves so his face is just centimeters away from her own._

" _Maybe," She smiles. Not even a second later, tears start spilling over. She forms a fist with both of her hands and wipes at her eyes as they shut once again. "Yeah."_

" _Evie," He says her name and pulls her hands away from her face, frowning further. "Why are you crying?"_

" _Sorry, Gil," She starts laughing and he scowls. "You're going to get a kick out of this."_

" _Am I?" He asks with narrowed eyes._

" _I was just thinking about how lucky I am," Her dark chocolate orbs open and his crimson ones broaden. "To be sitting with you now like this even after all the trouble I've caused you. You've done so much for me." She brings her hand up and caresses his cheek. "I want to do something for you now. Something worthy for a King like you."_

" _Idiot." He sighs and brings his hand over hers. "Your love is the one thing that brings me the most pleasure in this world. Shouldn't you have realized that by now?" His eyes soften yet hold a vigorous glint. "So, Evie, don't stop."_

" _There's no way I could stop." She smiles adoringly before looking at him curiously. "But I was thinking about doing something physical. Like maybe take you somewhere you've never been before. Or maybe make you something. It'll be like a whole new treasure..." She trails off at the certain look in his eyes she knows all too well. "N-no!"_

" _Why not?" Gilgamesh moves on top of her swiftly, pinning her down. Her cheeks darken. "It was the best feeling I've ever felt, and only you are capable of bestowing that upon me."_

" _We're outside! Someone can see us!"_

" _This is private property so that shouldn't pose a problem. If someone does happen to trespass, I'll kill them."_

" _It's sunset! S-so it will be hard to see!"_

" _I better hurry then," He leans closer, his lips tickling her ear as he whispers. "Before it gets dark."_

* * *

If anyone were to tell Gilgamesh he would meet a person who would later become his friend, he wouldn't think twice of opening the Gate of Babylon to give that person a brutal death. For him, the King of Heroes, only had one friend and that person will be the only friend he will ever have. If anyone were to additionally tell him that this person who would become his friend would later become something much more than that, he would strangle that person with his own two hands.

The Fourth Holy Grail war is over, and the Fifth one is only a mere few months away. The ten-year wait is almost over. Gilgamesh is tired of blending in with these lowly mongrels in Fuyuki. He went as far as drinking the Potion of Youth to do so. The human race has become disgusting to him, utterly foolish and weak. They are not worthy to have him rule over them. That's why he desires the Grail, so he can make the wish of eradication to mankind. Should there be any survivors, they will be worth governing.

Today is a hot day, summer being at its peak. The radiant sun smolders the concrete roads and sidewalks, making warped haze rise off the ground. Flowers are beginning to wilt which prompts residents to turn on their sprinklers, and for once the birds are silent. The only sound Gilgamesh can hear is the irritating screams of children as they play, nearby traffic, and insects singing their songs.

His feet are currently carrying him towards a small bridge that overhangs a creek. The beaming sun shines onto golden hair, and his crimson eyes that are the color of blood stare coldly ahead. His destination is the church he is inhabited in. To his displeasure, Kirei Kotomine, the other inhabitant of the church and his former master, isn't providing as much entertainment as he used to. No, not at all. That man is becoming more boring by the day.

"Mister!" A youthful and rather foolish voice disrupts his thoughts. Wordlessly and as he comes to a stop in his walk, he looks down at the small boy standing in front of him. Big and round eyes stare up at him, eyes the color of lead. He points up at Gilgamesh. "You can't cross the bridge unless you play hopscotch."

A very bold gesture and even bolder words. Gilgamesh's teeth grit and his eyelid twitches in irritation. This young boy doesn't have the slightest clue who he is gazing upon. He tears his eyes away from the child and looks past him, seeing a small group of more children. They all gaze at him with an awaiting expression. A total of five kids dare stand in his way and demand something from him? He should slaughter them all on the spot. On the other hand, though, perhaps these kids can amuse him somehow.

"Alright." Gilgamesh smiles maliciously. "I'll play this 'game' of yours."

"Really?!" The kids gush excitedly and giggle among themselves.

Then, the sound of humming suddenly penetrates his ears. The sound also adverts the kids' attention away from him and at the approaching person. Whatever fun he was about to have now won't happen. Feeling even more irked than before, Gilgamesh turns around with a scowl. However, the person approaching proves to be very interesting in the next series of events.

The person humming is a girl who looks to be in her late teens. She has a fair complexion and a slender frame. Her hair is a very light brown. Beige he would say, the color of desert sand. It's long and flows down her back in disheveled waves. Her eyes are deep brown in color, richer than earth's soil. They glimmer without a care in the world and shine with an acute friskiness.

She's wearing a long and sleeveless white dress that nearly skims against the ground as she walks. It hugs her waist and has a subtle v-neck. She's wearing gold and glittery sandals with a matching necklace, and in her hand, she carries a world map vintage suitcase.

Gilgamesh stares at her dress and how it flows so exquisitely as she walks. How the fabric rolls in the warm breeze almost reminds him of a certain someone he held so dear. Their face flashes across is vision briefly, their hair and eyes tea-green in color. It's been a long while since he witnessed such a simple yet serene scene. He oddly finds solace in this moment.

"Hey!" The same boy who stopped him earlier runs up to the girl, jabbing a finger at her much like he did to him. The girl stops her soft humming and comes to a halt. She stares down at the boy curiously. His cheeks gradually darken the longer his eyes hold her own. "You can't cross the bridge unless you play hopscotch."

Her brown eyes stare past the young boy and land on the hopscotch court drawn out in chalk on the pavement, then they linger on the other children. Instantly, her pale pink lips curve upwards.

"Well I guess I have no choice then." She jokes with a grin, a hint of laughter in her voice. She lowers her suitcase to the ground carefully and flexes her now free fingers.

With how her fingers almost look red, it's evident the suitcase she was carrying is heavy. Peculiarly walking on the tips of her toes, her form moves closer to the hopscotch court. Her eyes then lock with Gilgamesh's crimson ones, only now just noticing him. He gazes at her with narrowed eyes. She dares notice his glorious presence last?

Her lips part slightly as she stares at him. Getting out of her surprised state, she smiles and bows politely in greeting, holding up the skirt of her dress as she does.

"May I?" She asks, gesturing to the hopscotch course he is standing in front of. Gilgamesh grins, enthralled. It seems there is one human who doesn't lack the knowledge and manners to perform in front of a King. He'll let her earlier actions of being blind to him slide.

"Certainly," He replies coolly while stepping aside. She bows once more, only this time in thanks. After that, she proceeds to play the game.

Gilgamesh watches as she hops on one foot across the sloppily drawn out squares, occasionally using both feet for the squares drawn side by side. Once she reaches the other side, she turns around and faces the kids with a grin.

"Ta-da!" She cheers. The kids don't cheer at all. Instead, they look disappointed.

"That's not how you play hopscotch!" The boy from earlier yells angrily at her. The girl blinks in surprise. Her elegant appearance then morphs into that of a naive child.

"Yes, it is!" She retorts, her doe-like eyes narrowing.

"Nuh-uh!" One of the other kids speaks up. A girl with her dark hair in twin buns huffs. "You have to throw this rock first!"

Right after those words, the young girl begins to show the teen how the game is properly played. Gilgamesh stares at the scene in disgust. What kind of preposterous game is this? How can anyone find entertainment in something like this? Once the young girl finishes her demonstration, Gilgamesh can no longer remain silent.

These kids demand whoever crosses this bridge must play hopscotch before they can reach the other side, and when someone moronic enough agrees, they get angered because the game is played incorrectly?

"This is absurd." He begins in complete revulsion. "This is nothing but a waste of time and effort. How you lowly mongrels find entertainment in something like this will eternally remain a mystery to me." His terrifying glare makes the kids step back in fright. "And demanding others to play along with your foolish game, have you no dignity?"

"I…" The teen suddenly mutters. All attention is drawn to her. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is agape. She seems to have been too dismayed to have heard Gilgamesh's words. She brings her finger to her chin, muttering incoherent thoughts to herself. "I've been playing this game wrong my whole life then?"

"What are you from? The Bronze Age?" A young boy with glasses stares at Gilgamesh strangely for the way he talks. He doesn't seem offended at all by his words. Gilgamesh immediately marks that boy for death for gazing upon him in such a way. However, he smirks. There is no point in getting worked up now. They will all be purged in due time.

"It seems you don't lack a brain. Indeed I am."

"That's impossible!" The boy who stopped him to play this absurd game yells.

"That's what your feeble mind thinks. Mongrels," Gilgamesh brings his hand to his hip. "Have you not heard of the King of Heroes?"

All the kids grow silent and stare at Gilgamesh like he's the strangest thing in the world. They all exchange confused glances, clearly at a loss. This is exactly what's wrong with this world. They are not worthy to be even gazing upon him. Everyone should know of him and respect his presence, kneel before him and look upon him as the only King who rules above all—

"King of Heroes?" The teen girl pipes up. She then grins and holds her hand up high in the air, hopping as she does. "Gilgamesh! You like him too?"

Gilgamesh's eyes meet the teen's. Her dark cinnamon orbs are swirling with excitement at the mention of him. _Him._ A pompous grin overtakes his face as she runs over. Her form that only reaches his shoulders beams up at his taller frame. He recalls her question and laughs out loud, truly amused.

"I am quite the fan, yes." He confirms.

"How much do you know about him?"

"I know everything."

"Everything?" She gushes.

" _Everything._ " Gilgamesh confirms with a smirk.

The teen, looking truly captivated, looks back and forth between him and her suitcase. She's practically hopping in place. Her teeth are biting down on her lower lip and obviously holding back words. Those childish actions of hers make his irritation spike. She's a young woman and still acting like kids as young as these before him. Before he can bark at her to stop hopping in place like a lunatic, she blurts out a question.

"Can I show you something?"

Gilgamesh thinks over her question. She's fundamentally asking him if she can borrow some of his time. Habitually he almost says no, but he's feeling the most interested in a mongrel living in this day and age than he's felt in quite some time. He's in no hurry to get back to the church on top of that. So, he gives her the answer she wants.

"Yes."

"Thank you—!" She beams before being rendered silent by a ringing sound. "Oh," She turns away from him and jogs over to her suitcase. "That's my…"

Gilgamesh watches inexpressibly as she gets down onto her knees and lays her suitcase down flat on its side before opening it. Inside, there are multiple sets of unfolded clothes, lingerie even. His lips curve upwards into an amused smirk at the embarrassed and high pitch sound she makes. Faster than what he would've thought possible from a mere girl, she shoves any undergarments out of sight before grabbing her ringing phone. Before she holds it to her ear, she looks up and over at him.

"Sorry, I need to…" She glances at the caller ID, trailing off when Gilgamesh coolly waves her off. "Right," Rising onto her feet after grabbing a thick book from her suitcase, she walks over to him and holds it out, all while answering her phone.

Gilgamesh takes the book from her, rotating it in his hands and studying it. The front and back cover is all black, no writing of any kind. Is this what she was so enthusiastic about showing him? This boring object? When he opens the book, he discovers that it's a photo album. He looks over the photographs placed neatly on the ivory pages. His crimson orbs widen slightly.

"This is…" He murmurs to himself, appearing almost as if he's in a daze. Narrowing his eyes once more, he looks over at the teen and addresses her. "Mongrel!"

She's leaning against the bridge railing, her dark eyes gazing downwards and at the glistening stream. The moving shadows from the trees rustling in the breeze dance across her form, and her dress along with her hair flutter delicately. Wrinkles suddenly appear in her dress, a consequence from her fingers curling tightly into it. A crease forms in her brow and her lips purse, bringing about a despondent appearance.

"There's that little time left?" She speaks softly into her phone, seeming not to have heard Gilgamesh's shout. His eyes narrow further. This is the second time she has failed to pick up his voice.

"Oh! Pictures! Can I see?!" The group of kids abruptly encircle around Gilgamesh, making him glare. However, a smirk graces his face as an idea crosses his mind. He swiftly closes the book and struts away from them, holding it high above his head as they reach for it.

"No." He dismisses, causing the kids to whine. They attempt to follow after him, but a threatening glare makes them stop in their tracks.

Gilgamesh approaches the teen quietly. She's now smiling and standing atop the lowermost horizontal railing of the bridge. She's leaning forward and peering downwards, her elbows resting on top of the wooden structure. Her index finger twirls a few strands of her hair which causes them to curl. A laugh sounds from her glossed lips.

"Sure. If that's what she wants." She practically sings. "I'll have to go to the store to get everything though. So, I'll be a little bit. Is that fine? Mhm. Alright. See ya later, then."

When he comes to a stop beside her, she lowers her phone slowly. Her head dips downwards, her earthy orbs that glimmer constantly grow languid before they shut. Drawing in a profound breath, her eyelids rise and she turns her head, gazing at him with sparkling eyes. She smiles.

"Sorry about that." She turns to him fully, folding her arms behind her back. "Anyways, what did you think? If you know everything about Gilgamesh, surely you recognized that place."

"So, you mean to inform me that this photograph is real? This is the current state of Uruk?" He inquires and opens the photo album once more. She takes a single step closer to him, gazing at the photograph his eyes are locked onto.

The photo displays the ancient city of Uruk. The once appealing stone temples are now crumbled severely, some even seeming to have disappeared entirely. There is no lush greenery of palms like there once were, and everything is buried in smoldering sand. Even the water from the eastern channel of the Euphrates is absent. It looks like nothing more than a barren wasteland.

"Yeah." She nods, answering his question. "Which isn't really surprising, considering how old it is. But, it's sad too."

He agrees with the fact that it is quite sad what his kingdom has become. However, he also feels a sudden pique of anger at how the people he ruled over let such a preventable outcome befall upon his beloved Uruk. This shows that the human race has completely turned a blind eye to his existence. He will be sure to make sure _every_ lowly mongrel on this planet faces the consequences. Well, that was what he had originally thought.

"Indeed, it is." He acknowledges, looking at the next picture that is partially covered by a delicate fingertip.

"That's my finger." She points out to him in a stupidly amused voice.

Why she felt the need to inform him of the obvious isn't worth pondering over. Nonetheless, in spite of her irksome childlike personality, she has caught his interest. Ignoring her fingertip that takes up the entire lower corner of the photograph, he looks at the main focus of it.

It's an aged statue. A muscular man with a long and straight beard that extends past his chest, equally long hair styled in over-the-top curls, a lion tucked under his left arm, and a snake grasped in his right hand.

Gilgamesh's lips compress together evenly, and his eyes continue to bore into the photo. Just who this statue is of is obvious. He doesn't want to believe it. This is an insult and an enormous amount of disrespect! Is this really supposed to be—?!

"Gilgamesh." The teen confirms, as if reading his thoughts. His grip on the book tightens and his eyes move to the next picture, seeing it's the statue once again, but only she is next to it and grinning widely.

"Do you really believe that _this_ heinous statue is what Gilgamesh looks like?" He asks, his tone biting.

"Of course not." She frowns up at him, waving off that possibility. Her wavy tresses swish along with the rolling fabric of her dress as she turns. She leans over the bridge fencing with a smile. He follows her gaze, seeing she's eyeing the small minnows swimming upstream. "But it has to be a pretty close resemblance, since it's based off of ancient text descriptions."

"Oh?"

Her deep brown orbs enlarge suddenly, their gaze following two and rectangular pieces of paper that seem to have fallen from the heavens. They drift downwards and rotate in the breeze. Her breath catches and she straightens up, seeing it's her photographs. She looks over at Gilgamesh next to her, her lips parting and as a crease forms in her brow.

Gilgamesh's smirk merely grows in size at her anguished expression, comparing that face to the virgins who showered him with the most fine of flower petals as he laid in bed. He stares into her eyes, noticing how they tremble. They drift from his face and to his hand hovering over her head, the hand responsible for tearing out the photos and discarding them. It has been a while since he has seen such a delightful sight.

"That's not what Gilgamesh looks like. I can assure you that." He affirms. She faces him fully, her eyes narrowing into a heated glare like that of a rabid dog. Even though it's obvious she oh so desperately wants to say something, her lips seal themselves together, an unknowingly smart move on her part.

Her petite form moves quickly and around his larger one, passing just under his nose. Then, a rather amiable scent invades his senses. It's earthy and soft. Mimosa flowers, lush apricot nectar and berries, even cypress wood. He finds himself inhaling more deeply.

"Jerk!"

Looking in her direction, he takes notice of her angrily flushed cheeks. Her fingers are curled into the skirt of her dress and holding it up. Sending him one last dirty look, she turns around and tramples away from him. His eyes narrow.

"You should watch your tongue, mongrel." Gilgamesh calls after her as she crosses the bridge and hikes down the slight slope towards the creek.

"And _you_ should learn some manners, cur." She retorts and his teeth grit.

That girl has made a grave mistake. _To oppose him of all people and to look at him with such an indignant expression…_ From this point on, her life will be forever changed, _and so will his_.

The teen steps into the cool stream, holding the hem of her dress up to ensure it doesn't get wet. She makes a wry face, cringing in disgust when her foot sinks deep into the marshy floor of the creek. The mud she has sunken into swallows her all the way up to her ankle, completely ruining her gold and glittery sandals. She redirects her eyes ahead and at her photographs wedged between a couple rocks.

After silently contemplating to herself, she stretches her body and reaches forward to grab the photographs instead of risking ruining her other sandal. Her fingertips brush against the photos just when something light makes contact with her head. Whatever it is gets stuck in her hair.

She grabs her now soaked and jagged photos, straightening up and pulling the object from her hair. It's another one of her photographs. Eye twitching, she looks up. That unsettling handsome man is gazing down at her, with those equally unsettling crimson eyes from the bridge, a smirk on his face. For every photo she picks up, another comes raining down.

"Urgh!" She growls and jabs a finger up at Gilgamesh. At her furious expression, his smirk grows in size. He leans forward on the railing. "You're the worst!"

"Am I, now?" He asks, twiddling a photo between his fingers. She nods resolutely. He lets the photo slip from his fingers and she runs after it. A laugh sounds from his lips.

This is very amusing for him. It's almost as if he's playing fetch with a dog. He may as well be. All humans are mongrels, after all. Merely pretenders. A few more minutes go by until she stops playing his game and he grows disappointed.

"You know what," She begins as she drags her muddy feet out of the water. "Forget it. Toss the whole book in there. I don't care anymore." Somewhat winded, she begins making her way up the grassy slope and back up onto the bridge. Once she's on the bridge again, she brings her free hand that isn't holding photos over her chest. "There are seven billion people in this world. And I refuse to let you, just one person out of that very large number, soil my wonderful day."

Her eyes are tenacious as they stare into his own. Gilgamesh tilts his head slightly, smirking some more. She has him in the same category as any other person, almost as if she's implying he's equal with everyone else on this ugly planet. How wrong she is, and what an obvious lie she's just told. When she begins walking in his direction, all proud and nonchalant, he flips through a few pages in the book.

"You don't care? Therefore, it wouldn't be vexing to you if I were to keep this?" He asks.

"Of course not." She affirms, her eyes glancing at her photo album. She's an arm's length away from him now. "You can do whatever you want with—"

Gilgamesh laughs in amusement when her words come to a sudden halt. Instead of finishing her sentence, she launches herself towards him. He was right. Those words she has spoken were a complete lie. With how her eyes kept glancing at the album, and how she walked like a stalking cat, it was obvious she was plotting something.

She reaches for the book, and he raises it high and out of her reach. His actions prompt her to stand on the tip of her toes. He tenses slightly when her chest presses against his when she falls against him, and when her hand covers his own on the railing. His lips press together firmly. She jumps a little higher than he anticipated. Instead of grabbing the book which he knows to be her goal, the tips of her fingers ram into it. The contact sends the book flying out of his hand and she tenses too, blurting.

"Eh?!"

The two of them look up, watching as the book soars through the air. It falls over the ledge of the bridge and lands with a loud splash into the creek below. Gilgamesh's face is inexpressive while hers is appalled. Water droplets erupt and glisten, and the book becomes distorted as it sinks further down. Silence fills the air.

"Mongrel." Gilgamesh's voice makes her eyes meet his.

She feels movement beneath her hand and she looks, seeing it's his hand. Instantly afterwards, she becomes aware that she's leaning into him. Her cheeks are instantly stained a fiery pink. She was so focused on retrieving her book that everything else has been abandoned, especially anything involving personal space and proper manners.

Involuntarily, her eyes meet his once more. His pupils are narrowed into thin slits like that of a snake—that feature of his being what mesmerized her from the moment she first laid eyes on him. She wants to move, but the malignant look he's giving her prevents her from doing so. Unease rises to the surface and wraps around her. She finds herself questioning if this guy is even human. There is something regal about him.

"What is your name?" He asks, tone demanding.

"E…" As soon as the sound of the letter "e" emits from her lips, his eyes narrow in offense, almost like she's about to say something forbidden. His hand moves from under hers and grips her wrist in silent warning. She swallows nervously before continuing. "E-Evangeline. Evangeline Mori. But, that's kind of a mouthful. I normally just go by 'Evie.'"

His eyelids drape over his crimson orbs and he releases her wrist. She takes a large step back and away from him, clasping her hands tightly behind her. He moves and her lips part slightly when he travels down the slope and towards the creek. Brows furrowed, she runs after him.

Gilgamesh steps into the cool water. Yes, he steps into the grimy liquid, allowing it to fill his shoes and soak into the hems of his pants, soiling his favorite outfit. He bends down and picks up the girl's book, then straightening up and turning around.

Evangeline is standing at the edge of the water. Her lips wear a pout as she stares at him with perplexed eyes. She takes a step towards him only to freeze when he starts to advance on her instead. When he nears, he raises his hand to strike her. Her eyelids clamp together instinctively.

Something hard bonks her on the top of her head a maximum of three times. It's hard enough to make her flinch, but light enough to prevent any pain. Slowly, she cracks her eyes open to see Gilgamesh holding her photo book over her head. Did he just knock her over the head with her own book? He holds it out to her.

"Here, mongrel." He says as she carefully takes the book from him. "Even though this book is full of fabricated photographs, I shall return it to you. Furthermore, even though you have disrespected me and my appearance greatly, I will grant you permission to ask me one question about the one and true King, Gilgamesh."

Her head tilts slightly as she stares at him, finding him extremely odd. Just moments ago, he was bullying her and ruining her photographs of her most recent trip to the Middle East, now he has dirtied himself to return her book to her and is offering one answer to any question she may have about her favorite hero, Gilgamesh. She gnaws on the inside of her cheek in thought as she replays his words in her head.

"Uh, well…" She starts up. Even though she has many questions regarding the King of Heroes, she settles with another. "Can I ask you a question that's not about Gilgamesh?"

"Very well." He grants.

"Your name, what is it?"

They stare at each other in silence. Gilgamesh's crimson orbs are glinting like a predator's, while her brown ones are blinking innocently and mimicking an innocent gazelle. She wants to know his name? Once again, she insults him. However, his lips curve upwards as he laughs haughtily.

"If you cannot now discern my identity, you are excessively ignorant and that alone will serve to seal your doom." He berates, raising his hand and brushing his blonde tresses back. She gulps. "However, with your blindness much like everyone else's in this era, that is to be expected. Since I do not go back on my word, I am obligated to give you your answer."

The warm breeze blows, ruffling up their hair and attire. A stray green leaf drifts between them, and the blades of grass dance and glisten in the sun. Distance wind chimes jingle and somewhere a cicada starts to sing. Her eyes gradually widen, and her breath gets caught in her throat as he leans closer, his lips right by her ear.

"Gilgamesh, is my name." He answers, his breath tickling her. Before she can react or say anything, he moves around her and begins to stroll down the path he was originally on. The kids still present on the bridge don't dare get in his way or speak, still frightened by his earlier glare. Once he crosses the bridge his hands find his pockets as he looks over his shoulder.

Evangeline is still standing there by the creek motionlessly. Her back is to him. The moment his eyes glue themselves onto her form, she turns around as though she sensed his gaze.

Her cheeks are tinted a light pink and her eyes are sparkling, a grin on her face as she stares after him. She raises her free hand in the air to wave at him with a joyous laugh. Gilgamesh chuckles lightly and redirects his gaze ahead.

His blood-red eyes stare upwards at the sky, eyeing a flock of birds flying overhead. He didn't think she would believe him so easily. Perhaps she isn't as blind as the other mongrels. His smirk slowly fades away from his face and he suddenly looks thoughtful.

"To think there would be someone out there that would remind me of you. I can't help but to wonder if you somehow foresaw this meeting..." He murmurs to himself, lowering his eyelids. "Enkidu."


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm speechless, thank you, everyone!**

 **Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows, and just thank you for reading!**

 **I'll continue this as requested, and as I really find myself having so much fun** **writing it!**

 **If you have any thoughts or suggestions, let me know.**

 **Honestly, my knowledge of the Fate world isn't all that great.** (∩▂∩)

 **But, I'll try my best!**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

" _Don't mourn." A crumbling hand caresses Gilgamesh's cheek, wiping stray tears falling from his crimson eyes. "I was just one of the many treasures in your possession. You will find another far greater than I, one with worth."_

" _You do have worth. You alone have this worth!" Gilgamesh clutches at Enkidu's hand as it falls from his face. His usual proud voice is grievous. "Not for all eternity shall your worth ever change. In all this world, only one, you, shall be my friend—this I declare. For all eternity, this will never change!"_

 _Moisture wells up in Enkidu's eyes and Gilgamesh's own narrow almost angrily._

" _Are you now regretting the foolishness in having stayed by my side?" He asks when Enkidu's tears begin to spill over._

" _That's not it…"_

•○●○•

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Evangeline listens quietly to the minister's voice. Her eyes are shut as she absorbs each word spoken by the man who introduced himself as Kirei Kotomine. At some point though, she struggles to listen over the sound of soft cries and snivels. Raising her eyelids, she stares at the freshly carved gravestone in front of her.

The slab is sleek and sparkles under the warm sun like someone has thrown glitter all over it. It's arguable that someone actually may have, but either way, it's suitable for the person buried deep beneath it. Evangeline reads over the text displayed before lowering her eyelids once more.

 _Hina Mori._

 _1903-2004._

That is the name of her great grandmother. To live to be over a hundred years old is a blessing of its own. She believes it to be something to be celebrated, not to mourn over. Hina Mori has lived a long, happy, and healthy life. She died peacefully in her sleep a few nights ago, her hand being grasped in her own. Evangeline's glossed lips curve upwards, despite the cries of her family around her.

Mourning is something Hina would not want her to do, something Hina told her not to do. She was ready for her own death, for she had sensed it slowly creeping up on her. Oddly, she sounded happy as she spoke about it. For she said, "To live to be over a hundred is a wonderful phenomenon, but darn it all, I've been bored of this planet for years. Why won't the Gods take me? Did my parents up there sign a petition to keep me out? I know I drank a lot in my younger days, but good grief!"

After recalling those words, Evangeline finds herself biting down on the inside of her cheek. Her lower lip trembles and she swallows thickly. Easily she can feel tears welling up and stinging her eyes. She stares at the grave in front of her, fighting back against the grief trying to swallow her up.

Lowering her head, her loose strands of hair fall over her face. The sound of her family's cries around her is making it hard to carry out Hina's wish—to shed no more tears over her. But, now that Hina is truly gone, _there is no one else who can truly understand…_

The sound of everyone's "amen" brings her thoughts to a halt, and she whispers that word of prayer shortly after. Her gaze moves off to the side, focusing in on her mother comforting her sobbing grandmother. Instantly, she redirects her gaze in the other direction as she feels herself slipping. She draws in a breath to compose herself, then her eyes land on the priest.

His brown eyes that seem to be the same color of her own appear black to her. He's gazing at her distressed family with a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips. A crease forms in her brown and she shrinks back slightly. That smile isn't one of good-nature. It is corrupt, full of reprehensible joy. His eyes move to her, the only one present that isn't shedding tears.

When he makes eyes contact with her, she has the sudden urge to look elsewhere, and when he begins to walk in her direction, she wants to run away. The way his gaze makes her tremble in her heels, she doesn't like it. Why is she getting such bad feelings from a holy man? Perhaps it's because she rather dumbly watched a paranormal horror movie last night. She scares very easily when it comes to things along those lines. Despite everything, she holds her ground.

"It is okay to mourn." He speaks as he comes to a stop in front of her. The tone he's using is as if he's trying to coax tears from her. "Mourning is a way to heal and discharge even the most intense of pain."

"Yeah, well…" Evangeline smiles slightly with a small shrug, the sudden wind gust blowing her black dress about. Her hand finds the back of her neck and she looks off in the other direction. "It's different when the person you want to mourn over tells you not to, don't you think?"

"Evie." A new voice addresses her. Her eyes widen a bit and she turns, seeing her mom holding out her hand to her. Even though her cobalt eyes are glistening with anguished tears, she forces a smile. That smile is something that can hardly be qualified as one. "It's time to go now."

"Time…?" She whispers to herself, feeling her chest constrict. It's almost like a snake has somehow made its way into her body, for the sole purpose of coiling around her heart. Tearing her eyes away from her mom, she looks back at the gravestone.

It's time to go already even though it feels like they had only just got here. Why so soon? Regardless of why, she knows what happens next after a burial. _A reception._ For the first time ever, this is something she doesn't want any part of. She can't help but to wonder if that makes her heartless.

"Can I catch up with you?" Evangeline asks, keeping her gaze glued onto the glistening stone. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see her mom's disapproved look, along with the aghast expressions of her family. They all look offended, and that's when Evangeline deems that maybe she is heartless. She resists the urge to shake her head. _No._ They just don't understand.

Her mom shoots her one last look, her eyes silently saying, "we'll talk later." That is something she expected. When her family begins to stroll away, she can see the priest from the reflection in the sleek stone walk from behind her and after them, to courteously escort them out of the cemetery. He spares her a glance, and that's when her eyelids lower.

The sound of the rustling leaves fills her ears, and the warm breeze caresses her skin. Her loose strands of hair blow about. Even though her eyes are shut, the light from the blinding star in the sky shines through her eyelids, making her see nothing but red. It's a familiar red. Crimson _, like blood._

Her eyes fly open, seeing a red butterfly land on the gravestone. Its wings flutter. She stares at it silently, watching as it moves down and onto the fresh flowers at the base. A few seconds go by before she turns away. Her feet begin carrying her down the dirt path, in the opposite direction her family went. She would rather take the far exit of the cemetery. Some alone time sounds nice, for once.

As she walks beneath the stone archway that signals her exit from the funerary grounds, the sun is momentarily blocked out. Her heels click against the concrete path, echoing throughout the small tunnel. Ivy is growing up some portions of the walls and ceiling, and she can hear nesting birds rummaging about. She notes that the air in here is very still.

Just when her eyes adjust to the shade, she's forced to squint when she nears the end of the tunnel. She raises her hand in front of her face to shield her eyes somewhat from the rainbow-like sun rays streaming in. The summer breeze returns, carrying the aroma of blossoms. Petals drift in her direction and she stops, seeing a figure standing just outside. She lowers her hand.

The sun shining from behind this person make them appear black like a shadow. However, that can't make her stray away from noticing those crimson eyes and golden hair. No color or entity at all could taint those features. Even if she could not see, this presence alone rings many bells. _This person is…_

"Gilgamesh." Evangeline smiles, her head tilting in a way some would describe as adorable. Her arm folds behind her back, her other moving so her hand can hover over her chest. She gives a small bow of greeting before straightening up. "Hi."

"Mongrel." Gilgamesh greets, his noble tone traveling her way like the wind. Just like that earlier butterfly's wings, her heart unexpectedly flutters. She doesn't understand why. He just called her a 'mongrel,' after all. "Have you seen a priest around who goes by the name 'Kirei Kotomine?'"

"Oh," A small crease forms in her brow and he tilts his head back slightly. Is he associated with that man? That thought makes her feel a tinge of disappointment. She shakes her head suddenly and turns, pointing in the direction she came from. "Yeah. He should be back that way. If you want, I can take you to him?"

When she looks over her shoulder, she gasps to see he is now standing next to her. He must be light on his feet, stealthy even, because she didn't hear nothing at all from his advancing form. She slowly lowers her hand. Her fingers tremble restlessly when his pupils narrow into thin slits. His eyes are staring into hers, but it feels like he's staring into her very soul, leaving her feeling completely vulnerable. He's practically leaning over her.

"Gilga…?" She starts, only for her voice to abandon her halfway through speaking his name.

"I see." He says to himself, his lips curving upwards. "So, I presume the funeral he had to attend today was tied with you?"

"Yeah." She smiles lightly and clasps her hands together behind her back tightly. "Do you know him, then?"

"That should be obvious. Why would I waste my precious time searching for a man I don't know? But, enough of that. You are bearing a smile in spite of the funeral you have just left. Did the passing of that person bring you joy?"

Her eyes move downcast, and her fingers curl into the skirt of her dress at his words. Gilgamesh's smirk fades away from his face, leaving his lips pressed in a straight line. He had asked a question he already knew the answer to. Regardless of whatever expression she wears, her susceptible eyes speak volumes.

"I… am trying to turn my grief into joy." She answers, admitting her feelings for him to hear. "The person I lost told me not to mourn over them, that they aren't worth shedding tears over. So, I'm trying to carry out their wish."

"You truly are arrogant, an insensible human being." He responds, making her doleful eyes look up into his own quickly. "To think I've thought more highly of you in comparison to the other mongrels."

"What are you saying?" She whispers in a terribly frail voice, hurt by his words. "How could you... even say that?"

"When the sun rises it must set. When there is life, death is certain. For that person to deem themselves worthless and let alone insist you to shed no tears makes them ignorant, and for you to abide by that suggests that they had no value to you. Evie," His crimson orbs glint solemnly. "You have every right to mourn."

Distant wind chimes create gentle notes from the sudden stiff breeze just beyond the tunnel. Stray leaves skid across the concrete ground and towards them as they gaze at each other wordlessly. That same butterfly from before hovers just behind Gilgamesh.

Evangeline's lips are parted. She wants to say something, but what she wants to say is a mystery even to her. Her voice has long abandoned her, and now her tears are taking their leave. They glide down her cheeks silently, leaving behind damp and glistening trails. The heels of her hands press against her eyes and she bites down on her lower lip, her shoulders trembling.

Gilgamesh stands soundlessly, watching as she cries in her little black dress. Although she sheds thick tears and occasionally snivels as she draws in desperate breaths, she does not sob. It's a delicate sound and sight, though he finds it distasteful. Those despondent salty beads of hers is something he decides instantly he doesn't like. He's piqued by them. Suddenly, he hears a new sound.

Her hands continue to wipe at her eyes to rid of her tears, but that motion only serves to smear them even more across her face. She lowers her hands slightly and raises her head that was ducked, revealing a small and genuine smile. The sound he heard was her tender laugh, and suddenly her tears appear joyous. That red butterfly flies between them.

"Thank you." She breathes delightedly, her dark eyes somehow twinkling brightly like stars. The outer corners of them soften like warm chocolate, and their lighter flecks of brown apparent from the sunlight streaming onto her face represent caramel. Her features are sweet to match, and he finds himself thinking back to the last time someone smiled at him in such a consolatory way.

Far off memories engulf Gilgamesh, memories similar to the events that just happened. This moment reminded him of that lamentable time, and just like she conveyed her heartbroken feelings to him, he found himself returning the gesture, all because he pitied her.

"You're welcome." He responds evenly, then taking steps around her and further into the tunnel to find the priest. His hands find his pockets and his eyes shut as he walks. Abruptly, something tugs on the back of his onyx-colored jacket. He pauses and looks over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.

"S-sorry," Evangeline quickly releases his jacket she had in her grip, those eyes of his sending her a silent warning. She presses her two index fingers together, her cheeks growing pink along with the tips of her ears. "It's just, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk with me? We could get ice cream too! Or, just have some fun, I guess." Her eyes timidly break away from his. "I want to repay you somehow…"

She's very grateful to him, for saying what he did. Those tears she's been holding back have been begging for release for so long, and she would've released them sooner if she had the will. She feels refreshed, and it's true she did find her great grandmother's wish ignorant. She just didn't want to admit it out loud. Even in death, she's such a meanie. For her to claim she's not worth crying over, _how cruel._

The priest earlier tried to coax her to cry for his own satisfaction, but Gilgamesh did it for a reason entirely different. That's how she feels, at least. She wouldn't have caved in otherwise. He spoke wisely and truthfully, like he was speaking from experience. Perhaps he truly was. If he really is the King of Heroes, she has no doubt.

The sound of footsteps makes her look ahead and past Gilgamesh. He looks ahead as well, and Evangeline instantly shrinks back at the sight of the priest. His dim eyes glide intently between the two of them. They linger on Evangeline's face, making her realize stray tears still glide down her features. She looks off to the side, ducking her head in hopes to hide them. He turns his attention over to Gilgamesh as he grows closer.

"Did you need something, Gilgamesh?" Kirei asks, and Evangeline finds herself taking a single step to the side so she's behind Gilgamesh's taller form. She finds the priest's voice even more eerie in this tunnel. Before Gilgamesh can respond to him, she speaks.

"Never mind," She says weakly and looks at Gilgamesh, twirling her hair with her fingers. "I forgot you were looking for him. I really should get going too. Maybe I'll see you around?"

She gives a small and parting bow, turning on her heels and moving towards the tunnel's exit. As she walks, she feels two sets of eyes on. The sensation makes her feel unsettled. She can't help but to let out the breath she had been holding once she turns around the corner and out of sight.

Kirei looks away from where the girl had just gone. When he moves his eyes back towards the King of Heroes, he sees he's still looking in the direction she left. He gazes at him strangely. The last he checked, the great King still harbored hatred towards the people of this era. But, with that placid expression on his face, could it be possible that his interest has been caught?

"What of that girl, Kirei?" Gilgamesh pries smoothly. "This funeral in particular you seemed utterly happy about. What's your history with her?"

"Evangeline Mori." Kirei begins, looking back in the direction she disappeared. "The Mori family were once a powerful mage group, specializing in elemental mage craft. Hina Mori, her great grandmother, was a participant in the Third Holy Grail War. Even I don't know the exact details, but from what I have heard one of the opposing Master's forced her to sign a Self-Geis Scroll. She signed it, so her life would be spared, but consequently she had her memory wiped clean of anything in relation to the mage world, and her family was abolished."

"I see." Gilgamesh muses to himself, his lips curving upwards. "That is quite interesting."

"Gilgamesh?" Kirei questions, gazing at him strangely when he smirks.

"We'll talk later, Kirei."

Before the priest can say anything else, Gilgamesh turns and walks in the direction Evangeline went. It seems the King of Heroes is going to take her up on her offer after all. The smirk he wears disappears and his eyes narrow in thought. _Yes… they are more similar than he originally thought._

He steps out into the sun, continuing casually down the concrete path. Little gnats fly about, the ugly things looking like little specks of sparkles from beneath the sunlight. It doesn't take him long at all to locate the girl.

Up ahead and on a wooden bench she sits there, her heels no longer on her feet and now laying sideways on the ground. The dancing shadows from the tree above her moves across her form. She has her legs crossed, her fingers massaging her apparently cramping feet. Her brown eyes look his way. Surprise crosses her features before a happy smile takes over. She waves at him and he finds himself wondering, how could someone be so similar, _but also so different?_

•○●○•

 _Gilgamesh's eyes widen as he stares down at Enkidu. He holds his friend's hand even more tightly._

" _That's not it…" Enkidu repeats. "Who will understand you after I die? Who will walk beside you after I am gone? My friend… when I remember that you will be alone from now on, I cannot help but cry. That's why I can only hope and pray you'll find someone valuable, despite your words. And, I'm sure you will."_

" _You would pray to the very Gods that did this to you, for that? You cannot be replaced!" Gilgamesh bites out, and Enkidu smiles softly with a small nod._

" _Gilgamesh… I-I am happy... to have been together with you..."_

 _Enkidu's body returns to its original state not long after, nothing but a clod of earth. The falling rain soaks the earthy remnants of Gilgamesh's one and only friend out of his hands. The great King tilts his head back and lets out a thunderous cry._


	3. Chapter 3

❤ _**thankful for all of you!**_

 _ **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.**_ ❤

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His crimson eyes study at her as she strolls along with a slight bounce in her step. Her arms are folded behind her back, the straps of her heels dangling from her slender fingers, leaving her feet bare. For every step she takes, her beige tresses swish back and forth across her back, the waves they carry bounding. The black cocktail length dress she wears moves in a similar fashion.

There is a stupidly happy smile on her face, her glossy pink lips shining whenever they leave a shaded area. Her long and dark eyelashes that are still damp from the earlier tears she shed glisten. She has her rich eyes directed downwards, staring at the ground as she walks for the purpose of hoping over tree roots. He glances at her bare feet once more before looking ahead idly.

This park they are currently walking through is abundant with trees and flowers, and more than enough buzzing insects that fly across his face. They passed by a few people earlier, _when they were still on the stone path._ Now they are no longer on that path and walking through the grass. If he wasn't aware this was a park, he would say they were walking through a forest. His eye twitches in irritation. Does this girl truly get joy out of venturing through such a hideous place?

"You call this fun?" Gilgamesh bites out, making her look over at him with her doe-like eyes.

"Well, yeah." Evangeline grins and tilts her head back, staring up and at the green filled branches they pass under. "I like nature, it's really pretty. You don't think so?"

"No."

As soon as that single word leaves his mouth, she comes to a sudden stop in her walk. He turns around to gaze at her with his hands in his pockets. The displeased expression he thought he would see isn't present.

Her lips are pursed and her finger grazes against her chin. A light and thoughtful hum emits from her as she shifts on her feet. She grins suddenly, and her eyes sparkle at whatever she has just thought of. Shaking her head lightly, she continues on like nothing happened, glancing his way as she walks ahead of him.

"What's so amusing, mongrel?" He inquires with narrowed eyes, walking after her.

"I was just thinking about how I could change your mind." She answers, outstretching her arms as she balances across a large tree root protruding from the ground. Her form passes under slanted sun rays.

"And you think you can?"

"I think so." She beams with a sharp nod. Suddenly, a frown makes its way onto her face. "You called me a 'mongrel' again."

"Of course. All humans are mongrels." He answers, smirking when she looks over at him with a pout. Her form being higher up than his own due to the little "balancing game" she's playing, she has to tilt her head downwards to view him.

"But, aren't you half human? Or, was it one-third...?"

His eyes narrow slightly, and she's oblivious to his hard gaze. She's no longer looking at him and looking skywards with a contemplative expression. Does she mean to imply that he too is a mongrel? In any case, her audacious words rub him the wrong way. He's debating on whether or not he should open the Gate of Babylon right here and now to punish her.

In spite of that urge, something else spikes his curiosity. It struck him as odd at how quick she accepted that he is indeed Gilgamesh, the King of All Heroes. Her perception is quite astonishing. Other mongrels of this era are too foolish to believe that fact. He can't help but to wonder if this girl is more than she seems. Or, perhaps she's just unbelievably naive.

"Mongrel," He speaks, making her redirect her attention to him. "Do you truly believe that I am Gilgamesh?"

His unexpected question catches her off guard. As a result, she loses her balance with a squeak. Her bare foot slides off of the rugged tree root. She would've fallen roughly if it wasn't for Gilgamesh's hand darting out to steady her out of a sudden urge of instinct. Her eyelashes flutter as she blinks, her dark orbs moving over to him.

She gazes into his crimson eyes that seem to glow with her wide ones. The sunlight is hitting him at just the right angle, highlighting and casting shadows across his attractive face. Warmth builds up in her cheeks which causes them to be shades a dark pink. He lets go of her arm, unfazed by her stunned expression.

"...Are you not?" She murmurs in question, slowly straightening up on her own and being very mindful of where her feet are positioned on the tree root to ensure she doesn't topple over again. "S-sorry! It's just the name Gilgamesh is so uncommon, so I thought that maybe you were actually him—"

"I am him, you mongrel. You are not incorrect about that." He glares at her, making her gulp in her abashed state. "What I am curious about is why you were so quick to believe my claim."

Evangeline starts gnawing on the inside of her cheek, her gaze falling down to the dirt and grass below. Her fingers curl into the skirt of her dress. She shifts her weight from left to right, eyes suddenly following after a grasshopper rummaging about. Her mouth opens to answer, but then shuts before any words escape.

"You would do well to answer me." Gilgamesh's grim tone makes her shoulders tense. That reaction doesn't go unnoticed by him.

"Well…" She begins, slowly meeting his eyes. Her lips curve upwards into a sheepish smile, and her head tilts almost hopelessly. "I'm questioning if you would believe me."

"I'll take heed to whatever your answer may be, so long as you don't keep me waiting any longer than you already have. I find such acts imprudent."

Her eyelids lower slightly over her widened eyes as they soften at his words. She gives a small nod and hops off the tree root, landing lightly on her feet. Turning her body so she's facing him, she points off in a different direction from which they were headed. He follows her finger with narrowed eyes.

"This way, then." She whispers softly as if she's nervous. He jerks his head in acknowledgment and follows after her when she begins walking.

They are walking for twenty minutes tops, neither one of them saying another word along the way. Gilgamesh's patience is growing dangerously thin, but his curiosity is much more vast. She's leading him through a sea of trees and up a steep slope, across an array of wildflowers and through hovering critters, and all the way up to a wall of shrubs.

She grabs onto a low and thick branch dressed in wide green leaves. He comes to a stop behind her and she peers over her shoulder at him. Pulling on the branch, she makes it bend to create a small opening. He gives her a disgruntled look and she laughs.

"It's just through here." She smiles, and his crimson orbs narrow further. "I know it's a tight squeeze, but it'll be worth it, I swear!"

"If you're wrong, I'll have your head." He asserts, making sweat glide down her temple when he moves past her and through the small opening. She follows him promptly.

From being in the shaded forest for so long, Gilgamesh has to squint as his eyes adjust to the sudden change of lighting when he emerges from the bush. He brings his hand up to shield his eyes, and a warm gust of wind instantly greets him. When he grows accustom enough to brightness, he lowers his hand and his eyes enlarge.

He's standing on a cliffside that overlooks Fuyuki City and Miyama Town. From the height and distance he is currently at, the sleek skyscrapers appear meager in comparison to what they truly are, and the suburban houses look like mere dots. He can see everything from the rolling hills and woodlands surrounding the region, all the way to the blue ocean and where it meets with the mirroring sky.

Right here, it's almost like he's standing on top of the world and no longer treading upon the same ground as mongrels. He's looking down on everything and everyone from here, and he is satisfied with that. When his eyes follow the Mion River and how it navigates through the city, a sense of familiarity washes over him.

Delving deep into his memory, he can recall once standing in a high place like this, overlooking Uruk with his one and only friend standing just behind him. He stares at the scenery for a moment longer, before turning around to look at the mongrel behind him.

She's standing with her hands clasped together behind her back, a smile on her face that shows off her pearly teeth. The wind whips her loose tresses and attire about, and the sunlight highlights her earthy orbs. How she's standing, that expression on her face, and how her bare feet are coated with dirt at their soles, it makes this scene far too familiar.

A flock of birds scatter from within the forest they just emerged out of as she begins to take steps towards him. The feathered creatures fly over their heads and towards the city just beyond them. Blades of grass rise and pass by them from the intense wind that harbors up here. She comes to a stop beside him, closing her eyes and soaking in the warm sun.

"What is the purpose of bringing me here?" He demands, a foreign ache in his chest. "I have run out of patience with you long ago. How much longer do you intend to waste my time? You have yet to answer my question."

For him to be so lenient with a mongrel for this long is rare for him. Normally he would not tolerate such insolence. He is now more than tempted to open the Gate of Babylon, but once again, this outlandish interest he has assists him in keeping his composure for just a little bit longer. However, him keeping his poise depends on her next words.

Her eyelids slowly raise and stare ahead at the city. The placid smile she wore dwindles away. Wordlessly, she raises her hand and points ahead. He follows her finger. Rather than pointing at the city itself, she's pointing just above it.

"It was about ten years ago," She starts, closing one of her eyes and squinting the other as she draws an imaginary circle with her finger. "Right above the city, there was a big black hole that poured out black liquid. It was strange… it kind of looked like wine." She laughs a little queerly at that. "But, it acted like lava and caused a huge and devastating fire."

Gilgamesh listens quietly, believing her words easily. He was there in that moment, so what she speaks of is no lie. That was when he learned the true nature of the Holy Grail, and where he bathed in its contents and received a physical body so that he could remain in this world without being bound by a master.

However, ordinary civilians who had witnessed that crisis, or anything at all concerning the Holy Grail War or magecraft, are supposed to be eliminated, are they not? He believes he heard Kirei mention such a thing. He looks over at Evangeline, smirking. It would seem the Mage's Association missed one.

"Even now, I still don't know exactly what it was." She continues, lowering her hand. "But, from that point onwards I knew the world wasn't quite what it seemed. That's also when I realized…" Her voice grows weaker until it's no longer able to produce any sounds. Suddenly, she beams over at him. "That anything is possible! Even a King like you coming back from the dead!"

He stares at her with an impassive expression, his lips in a straight line and his crimson orbs vacant. Her words replay in his head, and his shoulders start trembling. _Coming back from the dead… anything is possible…?_ His hand moves towards his face, briefly shielding it from her sight.

Evangeline slowly reaches out towards him, nervous sweat forming on her temple. Before she touches him, she stops herself as she recalls that glare he gave her earlier when she did that. Does he not believe her? Before she can ponder about it further, he starts laughing loudly. _Yes, he definitely doesn't believe her._

"You are truly amusing, mongrel!" Gilgamesh laughs out, brushing his golden locks back as he continues to laugh proudly like the King he is. "It's been quite some time since someone has amused me this much!"

"I-I'm telling the truth, you know!" She glares at him and crosses her arms over her chest, moving so her back is to him. "See, I knew you wouldn't believe me!"

He only laughs some more, finding her sulking form even more entertaining than her words. What an intriguing mongrel, she is. The wind blows strongly, and she has to use her hands to hold her dress down. He moves closer to her, leaning in a way that makes him in her line of sight. Her cheeks are flushed a dazzling pink in her embarrassed state.

"I believe you. I witnessed that moment too, after all." He reveals, and she gasps excitedly, eyes sparkling.

"Really?" She grins, and he nods.

"Of course. That moment was when I obtained a physical body."

"Wow! This just makes things even more real! You really are Gilgamesh!"

The amount of excitement that she suddenly shows is an overflowing amount. She looks like she wants to hug him, and she almost does until his glare makes her stop in her tracks. So, she settles for a low bow instead which brings him more than enough satisfaction. Smirking to himself, he begins to venture back towards the forest until her voice calls out to him.

"Wait! Before we go," She starts up, and he turns to her. She gestures to the view once more. "Did you like it? The view is very pretty, don't you think?"

His eyes drift from her and towards the vast horizon. She's asking him if he views this scene as "pretty." He disagrees with using the word "pretty" to describe it. It definitely is something, but it is not that. He looks at her once more.

"It was a view worthy for a King." He responds, and she grins.

"So, I changed your mind then? About nature and such?"

"Are you blind, mongrel? That is not a sight of nature but civilization itself." He retorts, and she starts pouting at the fact that he's right. "Now, it's my turn to ask a question. Are you fond of leopards?"

"...Leopards?" She murmurs, tilting her head as her eyebrows knit together in confusion at that random question. "Well… I find them pretty like all the other big predatory cats. Why do you…?"

Her whole face suddenly turns scarlet and her hands instantly move to grip the skirt of her dress. _When the wind blew so intensely earlier… did he see…?!_ She wails pathetically, and he starts laughing loudly once again. He continues towards the treeline.

"Come now, mongrel. Weren't you supposed to treat me to some ice cream?"


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you to everyone, again.**_ ❤

 _ **I smile reading your reviews and just looking at the views, favorites, and follows this story gets.**_

 _ **They prove to be very inspiring and I'm forever thankful!**_

 _ **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**_

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Evangeline sits across from Gilgamesh, her legs crossed and her high heels back on. The two of them are occupying a round table sitting just outside an ice cream café, an umbrella protruding from the center and spread open over their heads. Her dark eyes shut, and she swings her foot up and down lightly, her footwear that is only hanging by its strap swaying at her movements.

The fresh and warm outside air is gladly inhaled by her, and the faint chattering of people is something else she doesn't mind. Though, the King of Heroes sitting across from her does mind. He openly shows distaste at their current seating. However, he finds himself able to ignore the scenery all because of her being seated across from him.

He stares at her with an amused smirk, taking note of the miffed crease in her brow and her red stained cheeks. Her chin is situated in her folded hands, eyes shut as if to block him out. She's been like this since they have left the cliffside, and he knows exactly why.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of," He begins, and her eyelids slowly raise. "It was a lovely sight to behold."

Her jaw goes slack and his smirk grows. Whining, she brings her hands into her hair and the upper half of her body falls forward onto the table. It's evident he won't forget catching a glimpse of her panties anytime soon. Her beige locks pool around her and he leans forward, taking her current ahoge between his fingertips and yanking repeatedly.

"Stop it." She huffs, trying to grab his hand and failing. "That hurts."

"Such a frail and audacious mongrel you are." He speculates, continuing his childish tugging despite her protest. "Trying to give a King orders is a weighty crime, death being the most suitable punishment at least."

She lifts her head just enough so she can gaze at him with a raised brow and pursed lips. That bland expression she wears makes him grin like a predator, and his pupils narrow into thin slits like that of a snake's. His words replay in her head.

"'At least?'" She quotes.

"At least." He confirms, and her head tilts ever so slightly as she begins to wonder how many people he has sentenced to death.

The sound of clicking heels on the brick pavement catch their attention and they look over just in time to see a waitress with their desserts. She smiles kindly and places their order of sweets in front of them, the glass they are in letting out a light ringing sound. When the waitress takes her leave after Evangeline says a "thank you," her and Gilgamesh's attention is then drawn to their desserts.

The two sparkling glasses before them hold banana split sundaes. Brownies serve as the foundation, followed by bananas and strawberries along with scoops of vanilla ice cream, then finally whipped cream and flavored syrup, and last but not least a vivid cherry as a topper. It's a luxurious sight, one that's capable of making anyone crave such a heaping of sugar.

"Ah~!" Evangeline begins, her eyes gleaming from left to right as she stares in awe at the dessert. "It looks so good! Don't you think so, Gilgamesh?"

Gilgamesh's crimson orbs drift away from his dessert and at her delighted face. Although she had asked him a question, she isn't looking his way. Instead, she's merely gazing at the sundae with rose dusted cheeks and a wide smile, sparkles even adorning her eyes.

How could a simple dessert bring about such a delighted expression? Although, he has to admit the sundae in front of him doesn't look disgusting. He wasn't expecting such a sumptuous frozen treat from this average place. It looks better than any dessert Kirei introduced to him.

"I suppose it will suffice." He responds, grabbing onto the spoon provided to him so he judge it to his fullest.

When he delves his spoon into the dessert and takes his first bite, he's extraordinarily impressed. He distinguishes an abundant number of flavors, and the coldness of it is a nice compliment on this warm day. This mongrel seems to know where all the decent quality dining spots are.

"Say," Evangeline begins as she takes a bite herself. He watches as she slides the plastic spoon out of her mouth of through the seam of her glossy lips. "They didn't have things like this back in your time, did they?"

"No." He answers smoothly. "Nearly all of these things in this time did not exist. Nevertheless, Uruk was still far more beautiful than this odious place. Nothing on heaven or Earth to this day could compare to its beauty."

"I bet." She smiles, turning her head and gazing across the street.

The aged brick sidewalks are charming in their own way, along with the small and rustic shops. As pretty as this small-town setting is, she's sure that Gilgamesh is right when he claims something like this can't even compare. She wishes she could've seen Uruk in its prime and when it still had him as its ruler.

"I do find some things pretty around here," She begins, looking back over at Gilgamesh with a soft smile. "But, it's getting harder and harder to find—pretty things, that is. This is a developing area and more things are constantly being built. That's not a bad thing." She grabs the cherry at the top of her sundae. "As a result though, all the things I find appealing are being taken away."

"The things you find appealing," Gilgamesh takes his own cherry between his fingers as he recalls their earlier stroll in the park. "Could it be nature?"

"Yup!" She nods, plopping the cherry in her mouth ironically at the same time he does. Once she swallows, she continues. "Sometimes when I'm out and about, I think about what everything looked like before civilization moved in. For instance, where we're sitting right now," She gestures around her. "Was this once a forest, or vast grasslands? Or maybe was this a wolf's den at one point?"

He stares at her wordlessly as he chews on the fruit in his mouth. She seems to grow more interesting to him by the second. Swallowing, he rests his cheek against his balled-up fist that is propped up by his elbow on the table.

It's obvious to him she's more than a little fond of nature. Anything in relation to it is always spoken by her in great length. His one and only friend used to do the exact same thing. Her cheeks are suddenly painted pink.

"Well… that's just sometimes." She lightly scratches at her cheek with a closed eye smile, seeming embarrassed by her rambling words. "I think about other things too, and even though I like nature that's not really where my passion lies."

"Where does your passion lie?" He inquires, making her whole face become a striking pink.

Her dark and earthy eyes open to gaze at him in shock. It strikes her as astonishing that he wants to know something such as that. Truthfully, she doesn't entirely know the answer. She's passionate about a lot of things, don't get her wrong. However, there is one thing that she is passionate about that no one else supports. Only one person supported her, _and that was Hina_.

Gilgamesh's eyes narrow the tiniest bit at how she looks wistful suddenly. She's looking right at him although now it looks like she's gazing into another world. Before long, she snaps out of her little trance.

"You really want to know?" She asks shyly.

"Why else would I have asked, mongrel?" He lets out an exasperated sigh. "You should know by now to adhere to my words."

"Eh, right." She gives him a lopsided smile, a lone drop of sweat trickling down her face. "Well..."

She trails off and Gilgamesh continues to stare at her as he awaits her answer. Her cheeks grow more pink by the second, and a pair of birds land beneath their table to snack on crumbs. The sound of the warm breeze emits, and she looks off to the side, her dark eyes following an old couple crossing the street together.

"Do you have a liking to testing my patience?" Gilgamesh speaks, his crimson orbs seeming to glow as he becomes irked.

"Can you tell me about Uruk?" She suddenly looks back over with a grin, leaning forward in anticipation. "Like, what it looked like and stuff like that? I want to visualize it."

"You dare changed the subject?"

"I-It's embarrassing!" She whines, bringing her hands over her face. "Besides, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't…" She lets out a deep breath. "Make me happy anymore."

"I did not ask how your passion made you feel." He instantly rebukes. "I'm growing tired of repeating questions. If you do not answer me, I will cut you down right here and now."

"W-Wait?" She lowers her hands from her face in an instant, gazing at him with stunned eyes. "Seriously—?"

Her words are cut short when the stem of a cherry makes contact with her forehead, in the process it also gets tangled into her hair. Gilgamesh starts laughing haughtily at her appalled expression, and he lowers his hand responsible for flinging the stem. Her cheeks grow notably warm and the look on her face morphs into a rather drab one. She pulls the stem out of her hair and stares at it.

Her vision hones in on the small green stalk leftover from his cherry. Everything else around her blurs as she focuses on just it. With a sigh, she lowers it and looks ahead at his face that most would describe as pretentious. Perhaps it is just that, but his vibrant eyes shine with some sort of pleasure too from her misery, it seems.

The King of Heroes is very persistent, and she really was a fool to think she could dodge the question like she did. Where her passion lies can't really be spoken about so simply, to her family especially. They just don't understand, and it's come to the point she wouldn't discuss it with anyone other than Hina. That's going to change now. It's inevitable.

"Art." She answers, lightly scratching at her flushed cheek. "Whether it's painting, or something as simple as doodling in a sketchbook or taking a picture, I really enjoy it. I was actually looking to pursue in a career revolving around things like that, but I don't feel like I can anymore."

Turning her head, she gazes at the window of the ice cream café they are just outside of. Their reflections in the glistening glass is as clear as day. She can see him gazing at her keenly, and she brings her hand up to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear. A red butterfly flutters around the potted plants below the window, and she can't help but to wonder if that's the same one from earlier.

"Hina… my great-grandmother," She starts up again, only more quietly. "She was the only one who supported me, and the only one who understood me honestly. It's lonely without her. Everyone else around me scolds me for wanting to pursue something not 'practical' as they say, and it's hard to do something when the world is against you." She laughs a little and looks back at him. "That's why lately I've been thinking maybe I should find something else to be passionate about—"

"Do exactly as you like." Gilgamesh interrupts her speech, making her lips part slightly.

"Gilgamesh…?" She whispers at his tenacious tone.

"Evie," He addresses her by name, and that's all it takes for her to freeze on the spot. "Regardless of the petty opinions of these other mongrels, the soul naturally seeks pleasure whether consciously or not. This passion of yours pleasures you. Pleasure leads to joy, and joy leads to happiness, which is one of the true essences of life. That is why you should do as you like."

Evangeline slowly lowers her eyelids, her glossed lips curving upwards. The breeze gently ruffles up her hair and she moves her hand over her chest, curling her fingers. Warmth is radiating from her heart and spreading throughout her. _He did it again._ Her eyes slowly open to gaze into his once more.

"You know, if you keep consoling me like that," She laughs, her head tilting ever so slightly. "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you in full, Gilgamesh."

"A meal." He says, making her earthy orbs widen a notch. "Treat me to a meal once a day everyday much like this. That will suffice."

Dimples form in her cheeks from her sudden wide grin. She can almost swear she didn't hear him right at all, but that demanding look of his proves her otherwise. Although this will surely hit her bank account hard, if she gets to spend time with the great King of Heroes, she instantly decides it will be worth it.

"Alright!" She nods happily, pointing her finger at him. "Then, in return you'll tell me about Uruk and your life as it's ruler!"

His crimson eyes narrow slightly at her words. She's insisting that he speaks of his past to her, and she has some nerve to do that. However, her happily smiling face that is so buoyant, and the extraordinary fact that she reminds him of his one and only friend, it compels him to concede to her words.

"Very well. It's a deal then. Should you break it you will severely regret it."

"Not a deal, a promise." She beams, her eyes sparkling brightly. He raises a perfect brow when she sits up on her knees, leaning forward and holding out her pinky to him. "Promises are more absolute. A deal is like signing a paper and calling it done, but promises are like soul to soul!"

It is right then and there when he is instantly reminded of how much she acts like a naive child. He stares at her pinky finger before him, then into her glistening eyes that are enhanced by her rose dusted cheeks. Letting out a low sigh, he raises his hand and wraps his pinky finger around hers that feels so easily breakable.

"Our promise is now sealed." She declares, sitting back in her seat and taking her finger along with her. "Just so you know, I never ever break my promises."

"I will be the judge of that." He dismisses, and she laughs while they both look back at their ice cream. Their lips downturn simultaneously.

"It melted…" She mumbles, pouting.

"All because you wouldn't cease talking, you stupid mongrel." Gilgamesh glares at her. Her jaw drops, a look of offense taking over her features. She suddenly shakes her head, narrowing her eyes into a glare just as intense as his.

"You were talking just as much as me, _cur_."

The two of them glare at each other in silence, trying to overpower one another with just their eyes. Evangeline is the first one to falter in her severe look, not because his own had frightened her, but rather she's more than amused at the situation and events leading up to this stare down.

She brings her hand over her mouth as she laughs, her eyes squinting shut and joyous tears sticking to her dark lashes. Her laugh blends in perfectly with the nearby wind chimes, and Gilgamesh's glare gradually fades away.

He looks away from her and stares at her reflection in the glass window of the ice cream café. For a moment he can almost swear someone else is sitting in her place. Someone with tea-green hair dressed in flowing white robes.

When he looks back over, that person isn't who he sees. Instead of Enkidu he sees Evangeline with her wavy beige tresses, and with her black dress as dark as any night. However, this person just like Enkidu is able to make his lips unconsciously curve upwards.

Later that day when Evangeline is walking home with her feet bare, she stares up at the clear blue sky. There is a smile on her face and with her free hand that isn't holding her shoes, she reaches up towards the sun. Her eyes grow soft.

"Hina, would you believe me if I told you I met Gilgamesh?" She whispers, lowering her hand and staring ahead instead. "He's very wise just like you claimed. He also…" She gives a closed-eyed smile, recalling the glimpse of the King of Heroes she caught while she laughed. "Has a very nice smile, too."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Smile:**_ _Thank you so much, and that truly makes me so happy!_ ❤ _Here's another update for you!_

 _ **michas:**_ _That's so heart-touching and I'm very grateful, thank you!_ ❤

 _ **Blu3b3rryT3a:**_ _That makes me so happy to hear! Evie is quite different from my other OCs I've created, and to hear that she's doing well as a character so far brings me relief!_ ❤ _Thank you a lot!_

 _ **Auxiliary Nexus:**_ _Yes, art! Haha, that would be quite funny actually! And you're right and that's a great thought that I didn't even take into consideration._ :o _, Thanks for sharing that!_ ❤

•○●○•

 _ **I just felt I had to shout you all out and respond, not only to show how thankful I am, but to show how much I cherish your reviews!**_

 _ **I'm forever grateful and I hope I can continue to keep everyone's interest,**_

 _ **And if I'm being honest... although I have some things planned out... I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going with this.**_ °Д°

 _ **Haha, well, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**_

 _ **Thank you for reading.**_ ❤

•○●○•

* * *

A leaf riding the wind navigates across the rolling hills. It passes over dancing and tall blades of grass, and scattered clusters of wildflowers. The rising sun makes the lone leaf glow like a rare emerald until it disappears through an open door.

Wispy curtains the color of slate drift from the arriving breeze and the leaf moves past them. The green foliage travels inside the bedroom it now finds itself in until its flight is cut short. It lands on the soft gray and white sheets of a canopy bed made of weathered barn-wood, with silvery drapes dangling down elegantly along with string lights hidden within. The leaf moves just a few centimeters more and tickles a nose.

Evie sneezes at the sensation, reaching towards her nose and grabbing a hold of something delicate to the touch. She groggily sits up through a yawn with a bad case of bedhead. Rubbing at her tired eyes, she cracks them open to stare at the leaf between her fingers. It's a wisteria leaf. How did it get in here?

Her question is answered when a cool morning breeze caresses her face. She turns her head, seeing the open glass doors of her bedroom balcony. The rising sun peeking through clouds in the horizon makes her squint.

"Oh…" She yawns yet again, stretching her arms as she crawls to the edge of her bed with leaf in hand. "I forgot to close the doors."

She stands and walks with her bare feet. The fuzzy white patterned rug cushions her feet and keeps them warm until she steps off of it and onto the gray oak floor. The new surface is cold to the touch, and it grows even more cold when she steps out onto the balcony.

The night chill still lingers heavily, but it's evidently being pushed away by the rising sun. Her dark eyes stare ahead and at the distant misty mountains decorated with trees that serve as the horizon line, then the gentle and rolling hills that extend into her yard, a lone wisteria tree protruding from the ground in the flowery field, and finally her stone patio that harbors an in-ground pool.

Smiling, she stretches her arms high above her head dramatically, causing the spaghetti strap of her pale pink nightgown to fall from her shoulder. When she ceases in her stretching, she lets the leaf in her hand rest flat on her palm. She raises her hand high and lets the wind carry it away just as a crash reaches her ears.

"Mom?" She murmurs to herself, turning around and heading back inside. She closes the balcony doors as she jogs and grabs a hair tie before leaving her room. As she moves down the hall and down the steps, and passes by colorfully stained windows that cast rainbows, she styles her hair in a high ponytail.

When she reaches the base of the stairs and turns to the right, she sees her mom by the kitchen sink and scrubbing away at dirty dishes. She puts two and two together instantly, moving to lean against the granite counter-top with a relieved sigh. That crash was merely the clanging of the dishes. At her sigh, her mom looks over. Although she doesn't say anything, her cobalt eyes question her.

"I heard that crash, so I came down." Evie straightens up, smiling sheepishly. "I thought you might have got hurt or…"

She trails off when her mom looks away from her rather stubbornly, her short chocolate brown hair swishing at her movements. She's still holding a grudge. Evie brings her hands onto the counter-top with a frown at her mom's dismissive attitude, and at the blue scrubs she's dressed in.

"Are you working this month?" Evie inquires softly. "I thought you were off."

"Someone has to work in order to make sure you're getting food in your belly." Her mom responds, rinsing the large cast iron pan to rid the soap clinging to it. "Not only that, this is your last year in high school. You'll be going to college next year so more funds are necessary. Have you applied to any colleges yet?"

"No…" She mumbles rather pathetically, playing idly with her ponytail. "Not yet."

"Have you at least looked at any?" Her mom faces her with narrowed eyes.

"...Just an art school abroad."

"Evie," Her mom sighs and sets the pan aside. "How many times do I have to tell you that being an artist isn't going to pay your bills?"

"Well Leonardo da Vinci—"

"Didn't start making a lot of money until he was dead." Her mom finishes and crosses her arms over her chest.

Evie's lips seal together tightly, and her eyes move downcast. Her hands that hang at her sides tangle into her gown, causing the thin fabric to wrinkle. Her brow trembles slightly and she turns her head, her gaze instantly being drawn to crimson roses planted just outside the kitchen window. Although the flowers themselves are beautiful, she's more intrigued by their familiar color.

"I understand your worry," Evie begins a little nervously. "But, it's what I want to do." She looks back over at her mom, gazing resolutely into her eyes. "It makes me happy and that's all I want to be in life. That's all that matters to me. Happiness," She smiles. "Is a very important aspect of life, I think."

"You think?"

"I know!"

"You can't happily live in a box, Evie." Her mom shakes her head lightly.

"I'll prove you wrong." Evie clenches her fists in front of her, dark eyes shining with determination as she grins. "Please, don't worry."

"I can't help but to worry." Her mom walks over, thumping her on the forehead as she passes by. "Us woman have to work hard these days, and the last thing I want is for you to become dependent on a man."

"I won't be." Evie rubs at her forehead, moving to sit on the couch next to her. "I'll be able to support myself. But," She shrugs innocently. "I don't think there is anything wrong with depending on a man, or a man depending on a woman. I mean, happily married couples support each other. It's a team effort. As long as it's not for their own selfish desires, it should be perfectly fine."

Her mom looks over at Evie as she slides her shoes on. There is a smile on her face that matches her sparkling brown eyes. She's in such high spirits even though the funeral was just yesterday. Today also marks the first time she defended her desire to be an artist with such devotion.

"I'm surprised." Her mom starts up, making Evie tilt her head. "It's as if you're on cloud nine today. Hina's funeral was only yesterday…" She turns her attention ahead and at the stone fireplace. "Are you happier now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you happier with her gone? After all, you missed the reception yesterday and didn't even shed a tear at the burial."

"That's not true." Evie shakes her head desperately. "I did cry. I even cried a little last night too. As for the reception… I got caught up in a conversation with someone. I'm really sorry."

"Just _who_ could've held you up for nearly the entire day and prevented you from going to your own great-grandmother's reception?"

"...Gilgamesh."

"Oh Lord." Her mom rolls her eyes severely and stands up. "Now you're fantasizing about seeing your all-time favorite hero?"

"It's the truth!" Evie stresses. "I know it sounds crazy—"

"It's even crazier than that time when you were ranting about some kind of black hole you seen years ago." She runs her fingers through her hair with a heavy sigh. "Evie, I'm disappointed in you either way. You traveled to the Middle East knowing well that Hina's time was short, and you skipped out on the reception… I'm very disappointed."

Those words cut right through Evie without remorse, making her break eye contact and look off to the side. Her mom's disappointment is easily understandable and it's not for no reason at all. If she were in her shoes, even she would be disappointed in herself. However, it really does annoy her how Hina is the only one who would believe her surreal and honest claims.

"I need to leave now to catch my flight." Her mom's voice makes her look back over. "Take care of the house while I'm gone, and please, Evie," She smiles. "Prove me wrong. That's one thing you're good at. If you pursue your dream as passionately as you just spoke of it, I'm sure good things will come from it. You'll have to work extra hard, though. Don't think for a second it will be easy."

"Of course." Evie smiles as she rises onto her feet. "I'll walk you out."

She walks out the front door along with her mom. Upon entering the outdoors, the sound of singing birds resonate, along with the sound of wind and dancing trees. She assists her mom with loading her suitcases into the car parked on the paving stone driveway. When everything is packed away, they exchange the words "I love you" along with a tight hug before her mom climbs in the vehicle.

Evie watches silently as her mom drives off, waving until she vanishes in the shadows of the nearby forest. She lowers her hand when she's out of sight and stares ahead at the city of Fuyuki in the distance. One thing she adores about her house on the hill is that she feels as if she's on top of the world. She lets out a sigh and clasps her hands together behind her back.

"That's so like you," She whispers. "Making me feel so much guilt then giving me words of inspiration afterwards because of your own guilt."

After a few minutes of standing around, she turns and ventures back inside her countryside home. Her feet carry her over to the sectional couch, so she can plop down on it. She leans forward and grabs her photo album off the coffee table, opening it delicately. Most of the photos are water damaged from Gilgamesh, but the pictures are still clear and that's all that matters.

She wanted to stay with Hina during her last days, but her trip to the Middle East was something she had planned and scheduled for so long. Not only that, despite Hina's condition, Hina was so insistent that she went. It was almost like she was more excited for the trip than she was herself.

The one thing Hina requested for her to bring back was a relic. Not a souvenir like a necklace, _but an actual relic_. Acquiring one of those was impossible and the most she could do was take pictures of relics displayed in a museum. Strangely, Hina seemed a little distraught when she didn't come back with a physical one. Evie's thoughts are interrupted when her fluffy ginger cat jumps into her lap.

"Hi, Oliver." She smiles, petting the top of his head. "Where have you been?"

Oliver merely meows in response, rubbing against her hand before curling up in a ball next to her. Evie giggles lightly and closes her photo album, setting it aside. She looks towards the hanging wall clock to see it's just before seven.

"I may as well get ready for the day." She beams and hops onto her feet, and she's sure Oliver would've raised an eyebrow if he had one. "I need to pick out a restaurant to eat at, too."

She takes a single step then freezes over entirely. Her eyes grow wide and she gasps. She has forgot to do something very important—that being to acquire Gilgamesh's contact information or even ask where she can find him. This isn't good. At this rate she'll end up breaking their promise and that's the last thing she wants to happen. Her finger grazes her chin in thought.

The past couple times she ran into him was just by luck. Perhaps she can find him by simply walking around the city, but that's not a guaranteed route that'll lead her to him. Her finger lowers from her chin as she recalls how he was once searching for that priest. They seemed well acquainted with one another.

"Would he know where he is, then?"

•○●○•

Evie stands just before the metal gates that harbor Fuyuki Church. She stares past the silver bars and at the traditional church ahead that is just as eerie as it is charming. The blue sky just behind it along with the fluffy clouds make the perfect backdrop for it. She lets out a breath, bringing her hand over her chest as she takes steps forward so the gate is within her reach.

Coming to a stop just inches away from it, she raises her hand towards it only to pause. It's still quite early in the day, not nearly close to the hottest part of it, but a glistening bead of sweat forms on her temple. She swallows.

Why does a holy place and man make her feel so uneasy? It doesn't make any sense. Is she just being over-dramatic and detecting false things? She would like to think so, but the way that priest tried to coax tears proves otherwise, _or so she thinks_.

She shakes her head like a dog to rid her thoughts. The only reason she's here is to find out where Gilgamesh is. Even though she's not sure if anyone is here or if this church is even open for visitors, her knocking on the door can't cause too much harm, can it? Her hand makes contact with the cold gate.

The moment her fingertip grazes against it, the world around her distorts red and her body becomes extremely heavy. The distorted red before her vanishes just as quickly as it appeared, and she withdraws her hand with a gasp. When her vision returns to normal she sees a red butterfly on her knuckles. It flutters away, and she takes a backwards step, winded suddenly.

"You're out quite early this morning." A voice speaks from behind her, and she turns around frightfully in an instant. She brings her hands over her chest to try and quell her rapidly beating heart.

"Gilgamesh. You scared me." Evie breathes out in relief, her eyelids lowering as she slouches forward slightly. "S-sorry. I need a minute."

Gilgamesh doesn't respond to her right away, merely taking a moment to study her. She's wearing a yellow and rather flimsy dress today. But, her attire isn't all that interesting to him. What he's curious about is as to why she's so pale and trembling like a tiny mad dog.

"What has you so on edge?" He inquires. "Did the priest here do something?"

"No, not at all." Evie shakes her head and straightens up, a quiver in her voice. "I just got here and, I…" She takes in yet another alleviating breath before smiling. "I was looking for you, and now that I found you," She points towards the city and runs past him. "Let's go!"

"No."

His objection makes her come to a standstill. She turns around with widened eyes and gazes at him. He's standing with his back to her, hands in his pockets and his golden hair ruffling up in the breeze. She fiddles with the hem of her dress and her lips downturn, realizing she was being a little rude. Afterall, she didn't even greet him properly.

"I'm sorry." She bows lowly. "I didn't even ask if you were free right now, or even say 'good morning—'"

"Yes. Your actions and words were quite unworthy for me. However, that is not it. It's your bad habit of not answering my questions straight away that is irking me. You make me repeat myself far too often and it's very vexing." He faces her, locking onto her brown eyes with his crimson ones. "What has you so startled? Should you answer this with a question of your own as you always do, I will show you no mercy."

"...Is this place haunted?" She asks, and his eyes darken. She inwardly slaps herself and runs up to him with her hands clasped together in some kind of mercy gesture. "I-I mean! I only ask because the moment I touched the gate everything looked weird."

She glances at the gate and becomes even more uneased instantly. As a result, she finds herself staring at his chest instead. Both of her index fingers press together anxiously, and her dark lashes somewhat shield her eyes from his sight. He stares at her, engrossed by her claim.

"Elaborate for me." He says, and she nods while looking cautiously towards the church.

"Well, everything became warped with red." She murmurs. "I kind of felt like I was underwater too. That's the best I can describe it. It was... weird. Not only that, there's that red butterfly over there. I've been seeing it a lot lately and it's almost like it's following me."

Gilgamesh only hums to himself and walks towards the gate. Evie's eyes widen, and she jogs after him despite wanting to leave this place. His hand moves towards the metal despite Evie's protests and disapproving gestures.

The instant he touches the gate he becomes aware of a bounded field surrounding the perimeter of the church ground. His eyes narrow slightly, and his pupils narrow into thin slits. Why there would be a bounded field set up here and now is something he's not entirely sure about. Is Kirei experimenting with magecraft? Or, is he perhaps plotting something without having informed him of any of it?

Casting those questions aside for now, he turns and looks at Evie. Her doe-like eyes are staring at him and awaiting any kind of words or reactions. How could she have sensed a bounded field when there is not a single trace of mana in her?

He faces her fully and _really_ studies her. She grows nervous under his keen gaze and he realizes he was wrong. He _can_ sense mana in her. Although, it's extremely faint and equivalent to nothing, merely residue passed down to her from her ancestors through family roots. It's evident she marks the very shadow of her family's former self.

Recalling how she also mentioned a red butterfly, he looks to the side the see one hovering by a flowery bush. It looks innocent as it lands on white petals for nectar. Now that he's looking at it, he clearly remembers seeing that butterfly yesterday as well.

"This is the insect you mentioned?" He questions.

"Yes." Evie nods and looks at it as well, bringing her hand to the back of her neck. "I may just be being paranoid about that though. It's only a bug—"

Any other words she was going to say get caught in her throat when the butterfly is suddenly sliced in half with a luminous sword that was used as a projectile. Two red wings drift harmoniously to the ground and her jaw goes slack. The sword responsible for slaughtering the insect morphs into golden particles that fade away.

Evie, even paler than before, looks over at Gilgamesh and gapes at the golden portal hovering by his head. It's otherworldly like that black hole she seen all those years ago, only this phenomenon has a divine and alluring aura to it. Regardless of those factors, it's also very frightening. This is the first time she's seen anything like this in ten years. She was helpless then and she is helpless now.

That portal shot out a sharp weapon and slaughtered a harmless insect, and Gilgamesh doesn't look startled by what happened at all. The portal closes and he faces her with a smirk, making her taken an uneasy step back. That expression... no way _. He was controlling it?_ He has some kind of supernatural powers? _Oh…_ she suddenly recalls all of the times he's threatened to harm her. Did he intend to harm her with that?

"That wasn't an insect," He reveals while bringing his hand to his hip. "That was a familiar."

"Oh…" She breathes out. "A familiar…"

That's a term she never heard before. What is that? More importantly, _what is even going on?_ Even though she believes anything is possible, even though Gilgamesh came back from the dead, she certainly didn't think what he just did was possible. She feels lightheaded suddenly. Not only that, she's quivering again too. This is all so overwhelming.

Should she scream and run? Or, act like she didn't see a thing at all? She's not entirely sure, and she can't really ponder over it for very long. The air around her feels so scorching hot all of a sudden, and she starts to wonder if someone can pass out from being extremely spooked like she is now.

"Gilgamesh." A new voice reveals itself, making Evie look beyond the gate. Kirei is standing there and he answers the question she was just wondering about.

She blacks out.


	6. Chapter 6

**UmiNight Angel Neko:** ❤

 **Hero of Justice Roxas:** Thank you very much! And hmm, great questions. I actually don't know much about fate/extra CCC Gil, but I know a little bit about Caster Gil. So, maybe I'm aiming for something more like Caster Gil? I'm not entirely sure yet admittedly, haha. As for the next question, I'd say she's definitely going to discover more, but it won't be like Shirou. In fact, she's going to experience things very differently from him. I can't really put it into exact words without spoiling anything, so hopefully this is good enough! :)

 **Blu3b3rryT3a:** Hehe, you're not overthinking it! It's very great that you caught those things. In fact, that chapter had some major foreshadowing. I hope to reveal these things soon as the story goes on. And yes. ❤ Thank you very much!

 **CherokiiTV:** Seriously?! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for reading! ❤

 **Guest:** I smile when I read all my reviews, but yours made me smile with a laugh! Haha, thank you so much! I'm happy that you love Gil now! :D ❤

•○●○•

 _ **Once again, everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart!**_

 _ **I appreciate each and every one of you endlessly**_

 _ **You all continue to inspire me, and most importantly it makes me so happy to write something that people enjoy, so, thank you!**_

 _ **I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading!**_

 _ **And, Happy Easter!**_

•○●○•

* * *

Pure white walls that are adorned with ornate oak trim that extend into the ceiling, plentiful windows that allow for abundant amounts of sunlight to stream inside, and silence so intense that causes a ringing noise in the ears. These things are what Evie becomes aware of when her consciousness returns.

Her eyelids crack open at a slow pace and reveal her dark eyes, although the bright surroundings causes her to squint. No thoughts at all are able to form in her head upon awakening, but it only takes a few seconds for confusion to swallow her whole.

The stale air hovering about is cold, and her surroundings are unfamiliar. Naturally she tenses, and when she recalls previous events her eyes grow impossibly wide. Just before she can sit up or even let out a startled gasp, the silence is broken and makes her freeze from head to toe.

"Are you finally awake, mongrel?"

Her head turns in the direction the voice came from, and as a result she finds herself staring into familiar crimson orbs. Gilgamesh is gazing at her from over his shoulder and sitting in a wooden pew—seating one would find in a traditional church. The single word "church" is all it takes for her to shoot upwards, and she instantly regrets doing that.

There is a throbbing sensation in her head that is intense enough to compel her hand to move towards it. Her eyelids clamp together in discomfort, wondering if she had hit her head when she blacked out. That would explain why her head feels as it does, but what is the reasoning behind her aching limbs? It's almost as if she got done running a marathon in the blistering heat, all without having a single drop of water.

"Are you not well?" Gilgamesh questions rather idly, making her eyes crack open to peer at him. Normally she would associate that question with a look of concern, but he is merely gazing at her indifferently.

She almost answers his question with a question of her own out of habit until she remembers previous events. Her fingers tremble and she lowers her hand from her head, letting it fall limply into her lap.

"I-I…" She begins, swallowing thickly to try and rid the tremble her voice holds to no avail. "...I feel a little nauseous."

He doesn't respond to that, but his eyes noticeably narrow. With much effort, she tears her eyes away from his to stare at her hand in her lap. Her fingers had curled into her dress at some point, causing it to wrinkle. Goosebumps have also sprouted across her visible skin, and even though the air is cold she has grown sweaty.

Where she's at is obvious, and who she's alone with makes her tremble almost uncontrollably. She wraps her arms tightly around herself to try and cover her quivers. Her vision blurs like that of a camera losing its focus, but despite that she can see how she's grown a shade or two lighter.

She's in Fuyuki Church, the very place that struck her as unsafe that is owned by the very man that she finds untrustworthy. The urge to stand and leave this place is overwhelmingly strong, much stronger than this weak and queasy feeling she's experiencing. However, there is something else she's feeling that doesn't even compare to those things. It's far greater.

A single and glistening bead of sweat rolls down her cheek, dripping from her chin. She's not looking his way, but she can see him from the outer corner of her eye. Even though she's been alone with him so many times before, _she's never felt so—_

"Evie." His voice makes all of her thoughts come to an abrupt halt. She visibly tenses, her glossy pink lips parting as a gasp escapes. "Are you frightened of me?"

It's only then she looks his way once again. He's facing her fully, his arms folded over the wooden backrest of the pew. She can't read the expression he wears, but the question he asked may as well have just finished her thoughts aloud. _Never has she felt so frightened of him._

After witnessing his power, after tying that to all the times he's threatened her, she can't help but to be frightened. What he done to that "butterfly" is something he could do to her easily at any moment. She admires him so much, but the facts that he is a selfish, prideful, and egotistical King is something she cannot ignore.

"...A little." She answers quietly, and just before the sound of echoing footsteps make her ice over. It doesn't take her long at all to figure out just who is approaching. Gilgamesh knows who it is too. Before he turns around in his seat to face the direction they are coming from, he peers into her dark orbs gravely.

"If you value your life, you won't mention a single thing of what transpired." He essentially orders her in a low whisper. It's a tone a King would use only for a servant, and all she can do is nod. What exactly is it that he doesn't want her to bring up?

Kirei steps out into the open, walking down the single aisle at a rather slow pace. His arms are folded behind his back, his dark eyes that almost resemble the color black locked onto her own. The dark church robes he wears flow behind him until his form comes to a stop beside the long bench she's situated in.

"That was quite a fall you took." Kirei starts up in his ominous voice. "You are rather fortunate that things didn't turn out worse."

Evie keeps her eyes locked onto his even though she rather be looking anywhere else. His words replay in her head. _Rather fortunate that things didn't turn out worse?_ What could he be suggesting? All she did was pass out in fear… _because of what Gilgamesh doesn't want her to mention._ Of course, this is what he meant.

Although, why he wants her to keep quiet is something she doesn't know. Even though she doesn't know, she doesn't question it. Now that Kirei is here, she realizes she's much more frightened of him than Gilgamesh.

"Yeah," She responds, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Thank you for letting me rest inside, and sorry for the trouble."

"It was not a problem." He reassures her. "Do you know what brought on such an incident? To pass out so suddenly must have an underlying reason."

That false concern in his voice along with the way his eyes study her so intently, it makes plenty of warning bells sound off inside her, and Gilgamesh's last spoken words echo in her head as if to warn her. Oddly, she finds herself confronted by his silent voice in her mind. Despite that, she's unsure what to do.

All Gilgamesh told her is to not mention what happened prior to her passing out. She will abide by his words, but how should she respond to Kirei? Her first thought is to claim she doesn't know what happened, but what if that's the answer he's looking for? The way he's looking at her is almost as if he knows what had happened already. Could he be trying to trick her into speaking of what she experienced out loud? Why, and what for?

She can feel Gilgamesh's eyes drilling into her head, and she knows she needs to say something right away. Her eyes begin to sting as she remembers her very life is on the line. What she says next will determine if she lives or not. She needs to lie to the priest, _and she has never considered herself a good liar._

"H-Hina." She whispers, and Kirei's eyes narrow slightly and only for a brief second. Her hands moves over her chest and she sucks in a deep breath, feeling salty beads spill down her cheeks. "Ever since she died… I haven't had an appetite at all. So, I-I…"

She trails off, not only because she doesn't know what else to say, but also because of the nearly suffocating tightness in her throat that prevents any other sounds from escaping. Trembles visibly emit from her body as she feels utterly terrified. Was what she said enough? Did he see right through her lie? She needs to say something else. Through her blurry tears, she catches sight of the cross hanging from his neck.

"I just wanted to…" She clasps her hands together in front of her, ducking her head so her strands of hair fall over her face. "...Pray."

The only thing that occurs next is weighty silence. Evie's heart rampages in her ribcage and it aches as a result. Could he have seen right through her lie? She's sure he did until his hand finds the cross over his chest as he begins to speak words of scripture. Her eyelids lower.

Kirei speaks holy words that are meant to bring peace to the soul and uplift even the lowest of spirits, but his hollow voice makes her feel worse than she already does. He's not speaking genuinely, and cracking her eyelids open she can faintly see his elated expression through the reflection of the polished wood floor. She swallows thickly and shuts her eyes once more, only this time more tightly.

Gilgamesh stares at Evie with a sullen expression. There are glistening tears streaming down her face and she's trembling like a mad dog. He tears his eyes away from her to look at Kirei, seeing the look of joy on his face he expected—that look all because of the pitiful sight and misfortune of another.

"You should take better care of yourself. It isn't healthy for a girl such as yourself to walk around malnourished." Kirei advises once he's done leading her through prayer.

"Right," Evie whispers, lowering her hands while forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Thank you for everything. I'm going to head home to rest now."

Evie stands slowly and with her oddly fatigued limbs. Upon straightening up, she feels lightheaded instantly. She focuses on anything else but these factors and pushes through them all for the sake of leaving this place, _and these people._ Kirei steps out of her way when she starts heading towards the door.

Her feet move nearly soundlessly against the floor and her loose hair swishes behind her. She passes by many sun rays that stream within from the windows, and for each time the light makes her tear stained face even more distinct. It's only when her hand presses against the door when she decides to snivel, and when Kirei speaks out.

"May our Father in Heaven guide us all."

She looks over her shoulder with her tear-filled eyes, seeing Kirei facing her fully with his arms folded behind his back, and Gilgamesh merely gazing at her from over his shoulder as he sits. It's hard for her to force herself to look away from Gilgamesh, and it's only by some miracle she's able to. Once she does, she gives a respectful and parting bow before disappearing out the door.

Upon stepping outside the smoldering and humid summer air greets her. Judging by the heat and the positioning of the sun in the sky, it's late afternoon. Has she really been unconscious for that long? The moment she leaves the church grounds and hears the closing of the metal gate behind her is when she gasps for air.

Her hands move over her chest and she breathes like it's for the very first time. She felt like she was suffocating inside that church. Every negative emotion in the book had her confined tightly, and even now they still do.

Was her lie not believable? Why did Gilgamesh want her to lie? Why does it feel like her entire existence revolved around that single lie? There are so many questions she has that she doesn't have the answer to, and right now she doesn't care to know the answers. At this point, all she wants to do is return to the safety of her home.

She wipes at her eyes to rid the remainder of her tears, and shortly afterwards she hears a glittering noise. Lowering her hands, she looks over to find gold and bright particles gathering next to her. Her brown eyes enlarge at the figure materializing before her.

"Well done, mongrel. It seems the priest has fell for your scandalous remark."

Gilgamesh's voice is nothing but a distant echo until his entire form appears. He's walking by her side with a pompous smirk. With a gasp, Evie comes to a sudden stop in her walk, staring at him with wide and bloodshot eyes. Can he teleport too? What other otherworldly things can he do?

Just like she came to a stop, he does too. He simply stares at her, noticing how her lower lip holds a tremble, and how she looks like she's going to burst into tears once more. She takes a single step back when he faces her, cowering away much like a piteous mongrel. At that he feels a sense of irritation along with something else bothersome.

"Evie." He speaks her name, and instantly afterwards she replies in a high-pitch.

"Y-Yes?"

His crimson eyes narrow along with his pupils, and she gulps while tensing all over. She looks around in a brief panic. Then, she does the most ludicrous thing. She gets down onto her hands and knees, pressing her forehead against the concrete ground as she bows in absolute respect.

Such actions are what one should do in his presence, but this is respect out of fear. Due to that, he doesn't care for such an act. Additionally, there is no need for her to go to such extremes. Perhaps before, but not anymore. He's not interested.

"Stand, Evie." He says in monotone, and she complies out of fear once again.

The warm breeze blows as they stare at each other. Dancing green trees block the church from view, and shadows from those towering plants sway across their forms. Occasionally sunlight peeks through those branches and shines into Evie's eyes, making them resemble warm and golden caramel. A lone tear rolls down her cheek.

Crickets start to sing from the nearing sunset, and Gilgamesh raises his hand. Evie's eyes shut instinctively. Her head ducks and her shoulders rise, almost as if she's a turtle trying to escape back into the safety of her shell. She looks more than piteous right now. A far-off bicycle bell rings the moment his hand makes contact with her.

Soft, like a rose petal. That's how her skin feels. Conflicting that texture is the coldness of her tears he oh so detests. The pad of his thumb haltingly swipes across the trail of her tears, halving it and ceasing its flow. Her damp lashes slowly rise off from her cheeks when she opens her eyes to stare into his.

Soft, like a rose petal. That's how his hand that's cupping her cheek feels. Evie's pulse pounds loudly in her ears. The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, is wiping her tears with a touch as gentle as a feather-stroke. Instead of the fear she's been feeling, she feels a sense of comfort. This man that she had feared moments earlier is now quieting all her fears.

"Gilgamesh…" She whispers his name, and ever so slightly his head tilts to the side. "Why…?"

 _Pinch._

"Cease your crying, you stupid mongrel." Gilgamesh practically barks out, and Evie yelps.

She recoils from him, taking a large step back while rubbing at her throbbing and red cheek. _He just pinched her._ No matter how much she rubs at her cheek the pain will not diminish. Her jaw grows tight and she can't stop herself from glaring at him despite earlier events.

His eyes are shut in irritation and he brings his hand up, running his fingers through his golden tresses. Why on earth would he be feeling irritated? He wasn't the one who was just pinched mercilessly.

"You weren't feeling well, correct?" He questions, raising his eyelids and walking past her. Although she didn't answer him yet, he speaks further. "Come. I will walk you home."

At that, her eyes enlarge and her hand lowers from her face. _Walk her home?_ Her house isn't exactly close by. In fact, it's around an hour walk from here. Shaking her head to snap herself out of her stunned state, she grabs onto his sleeve before he's out of reach. He comes to a stop.

"You really don't have to do that." She says. "My house isn't exactly around the block. And…"

She trails off, not really knowing what to say next. Before today, she probably wouldn't have minded him walking her home. Maybe she would've even enjoyed it. However, now that she knows of his abilities and how he can easily kill her, she doesn't want him to know where she lives. Her home is her only safe place, _and should he find out where her home is..._

"I said I _will_ walk you home." Gilgamesh asserts, and she nearly squeaks when he gazes at her from over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. It's in this moment Evie becomes aware that she has no choice.

"O-Okay," She speaks softly, releasing his sleeve and looking at the ground below.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." He says, facing her with his hands in his pockets. "I'm just going to walk you home, nothing else. On my title as King, I, Gilgamesh, swear this to you."

Hesitantly, Evie holds out her pinky finger which results in the great King almost rolling his eyes. He wraps his pinky finger around hers firmly, then gestures for her to lead the way to her abode. She walks ahead, and he follows right behind her.

It's silent between them as they walk, a silence that is very difficult to handle. Evie's eyes remain downcast the entire time as they stroll along at a slow pace. Normally she would walk faster, but her earlier queasiness is catching up with her along with the aching of her limbs.

Her eyes drift slightly to the side. Although she's still staring at the ground, Gilgamesh's shadow is within her sight. She stares at it, bringing her arms around her midsection and hugging herself.

"Gilgamesh," She begins quietly, unsurely. "Why did you want me to lie to Kirei?"

"Because if he were to find out what you experienced, and even of what you seen all those years ago, he wouldn't think twice of killing you."

That answer makes her arms around herself tighten. She can even feel herself grow pale as her breath gets caught in her throat. The moment he had told her to lie to the priest if she valued her life, she thought her life was endangered by him, _Gilgamesh._ She didn't think for a second that Gilgamesh was actually protecting her from Kirei.

"...Thank you," She looks over her shoulder at him. "For protecting me."

He doesn't respond to her thanks. Instead, he tears his gaze away from her and looks off to the side at nothing in particular. She slowly finds herself smiling and slows down in her walk so she falls into step beside him. Silence hovers in the air once again, only this time it's mollifying.

Time passes by quickly and before she even knows it, Evie's standing on her front porch. She grips the doorknob of her front door and turns it, pushing the door open. Before she steps inside the comfort of her home, she turns and faces Gilgamesh who is standing at the base of her porch steps. She bows in a parting way.

"Thank you for walking me home." She waves, turning to head inside. "See you tomorrow?"

Gilgamesh only nods, watching as she disappears into her home. When the door shuts, his eyes take in his surroundings, instantly taking note of the abundant amount of nature that provides natural privacy for the property. He then looks back at the house she calls "home."

It's a rather large house predominately made out of brick. A country home that bears a french style, having plenty windows and a gabled roof. The stone pathway he is currently standing on has outdoor lights running along it. His eyes narrow greatly and glint critically.

He walks off of the path, circling around the back of the house and is greeted with an in-ground pool. His crimson orbs narrow even further, then he hears a "meow." Looking down, he sees a fluffy ginger cat staring up at him with minty green eyes.

"This house is…"

•○●○•

The moment Evie returned home she went straight up to her room and climbed into bed. She was instantly sucked into a dreamless sleep. It was a refreshing slumber, but when she awakes the next morning she still feels sore and ill in her stomach. Although these symptoms aren't as bad as they were yesterday, they still bother her a ton.

She climbs out of bed groggily, dragging her feet towards her bathroom and hoping a warm shower will soothe her. It doesn't. In fact, it only makes her aware of how hungry she is. She dries off insufficiently with a towel and puts on a silky bathrobe.

She drags her feet once again, only this time leaving behind small puddles of water. Her wet hair sticks to her face. Maybe once she eats something she'll feel better, and if not, she'll take some medicine then get back in bed.

Once she enters the kitchen, she sits on the island stool and grabs an apple out of the fruit basket. She takes a decent sized bite, slumping forward against the cold counter-top with a light groan. She chews on the juicy fruit leisurely.

Why does she feel so achy? And why does she hear the television? It was off when she left the house yesterday, and she didn't touch it at all upon returning home. Did Oliver step on the remote and turn it on by accident?

She raises her head and looks over, the open concept interior of her home allowing her to gaze into the living room with ease. What she sees makes her freeze over. She blinks once then twice, leaping from her seat and dropping her apple in the process. Her arms hold her robe against her body securely and she exclaims.

"G-Gilgamesh?!"

He looks over from his spot on the couch, obviously having been too engrossed in the show on the television to have noticed her. His feet are propped up by the reclining portion of the couch, and Oliver is curled up in his lap. With a smirk, he waves the television remote at her.

"You look rather delicious this morning, Evie." He says in greeting, making her entire form glow red in embarrassment. She ducks behind the kitchen island, though keeping her head higher than the counter-top so she can see him. She jabs a finger at him.

"W-What are you doing here?!" She demands, and he laughs boastfully.

"I am making myself at home. What else?" He answers, looking away from her to look at Oliver instead. "This house is…" He lazily pets the cat. " _Very nice._ "


	7. Chapter 7

**UmiNight Angel Neko:** Haha, he really is like a stray cat. xD And thank you so much for telling me about that CCC Gilgamesh play through, I watched it ❤

 **CherokiiTV:** Thank you very much! ❤ That means a lot, I was worried about how to portray Kirei. He's always been one of the most interesting and intensive character to me, so I'm happy to be doing him justice. Thank you, again.

 **Hero of Justice Roxas:** Thank you! And I definitely did my research on the CCC Gilgamesh like you suggested, and I'm so happy I did! That's the kind of Gilgamesh I'm aiming for, and doing my research made me feel like I understand him more. And yes, she'll for sure know what she's getting into! I actually have another fate story planned, along with a few others for different fandoms. My mind is too wild and constantly creating. I even have some things in the works right now, lol. But, I would absolutely love to hear some of your ideas! :D Thank you. ❤

 **dude:** Thank you so much, dude! You're going to make me cry tears of happiness! I'll continue to work hard and try my best ~ !

 **Wanderstar:** Haha! I really cannot wait to get further ahead in this story, all because I have so many exciting things planned! ≧◡≦

 **Blu3b3rryT3a:** Hahaa xD ! Yes, he does for sure! And what a wonderful guess, ehe ~ ❤ Thank you very much!

 **Guest:** Thank you so much! That really does mean a lot, and it makes me feel so relieved and happy. And oh, yes! I think I described her appearance in the first chapter, and maybe a little in this one too. But, I'll describe her in depth again very soon. To give you a visual now, she has light brown hair and dark brown eyes (◠‿◠✿) Thank you for reading!

•○●○•

 _ **I can thank you guys a million times and it wouldn't be enough** _❤

 _ **Thank you all, so so much!**_

 _ **I'll continue to work hard and write things that you can enjoy!**_

 _ **Also, thank you so much for telling me about CCC Gilgamesh. That was extremely helpful, and I'm so happy to know that Gil now!** _＼(*^▽^*)/

 _ **Please enjoy this chapter, and thank you for reading!**_

•○●○•

* * *

It is rather unfortunate how some things happen to the mongrels of this era. Although, the games they have come up with are rather interesting. Even though his beloved Uruk was impeccable, he can't help but to sometimes wonder what it would've been like if some of these games existed.

Gilgamesh's crimson eyes bore into the flat panel screen in front of him, watching as one of the race cars displayed spins out and crashes into a wall. That occurrence right there is what he meant by "unfortunate things," and this racing sport is what he meant by "games." As deplorable as the accidents that occur in this game may be, each and every time he lets out an amused laugh. However, his short laughs gradually lessen as he begins to grow bored.

He leans back further in his reclining and cushioned seat, staring up at the high and vaulted ceiling that is decorated with wooden beams. The sun streaming through the nearby windows causes streaks of slanted light to move across his vision, shining onto him even. His eyes shut.

Evie had retreated back upstairs in order to get dressed, or so he presumes. It was quite obvious she was uncomfortable in his presence while only dressed in a bathrobe even though he didn't mind the sight. She has been gone for quite a while now, which is more than rude.

He is a guest in her house, a royal guest, the one and only King. _Gilgamesh_. For him to be here, let alone in her presence is a rarity itself. Shouldn't she be showering him with the finest of rose petals? He should punish her for such disrespect. However, he cannot bring himself to. She's not a "normal" mongrel. He doesn't think she would be capable of doing such a thing as of right now anyway.

Ironically and as if she has sensed that she was on his mind, he hears light footsteps coming from the stairwell. The cat in his lap hears exactly what he does and stands, stretching before leaping from his lap. Gilgamesh turns his head, seeing Evie round the corner of the stairs.

The stained-glass window just behind her casts a vivid rainbow on her form, doing a commendable job of making her appear angelic. Evie, _angelic_. Perhaps she would fully look the part if it wasn't for her appearance without the colorful lighting.

Normally whenever he sees her she's dressed in the most fashionable clothes, although now she's only wearing rather baggy pants and a simple t-shirt. Additionally, her lips aren't bearing their usual glossy shine either. Once she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she comes to a stop and stares at him with tired eyes. Yes, she definitely isn't capable of showering him with petals.

"Are you hungry?" She questions, forming a fist and rubbing at her eye. The ponytail her beige hair bears swishes when she shifts her weight. "I was thinking of making something…"

"I am indeed." He answers, using his feet to manually put down the recliner. "However…"

He smoothly stands, his feet carrying his divine form over to her. She takes a single step back while bringing her hand over her chest, giving him a rather perplexed look. Unease shines in her rich orbs when he grabs a hold of her hand. He holds it palm up, using his other hand to trace his finger along it.

From this simple contact, he can sense magic circuits that weren't there before, or rather magic circuits that were dormant until just yesterday. They have been opened up and as a result they already have taken their toll. It's evident on her features.

"You're feeling under the weather still, are you not?" He inquires, looking up from her hand and gazing into her eyes. She blinks a few times, swallowing with a slight nod.

"Is it that obvious?" She smiles a bit forcefully, and he drops her hand. Oliver weaves between their legs, rubbing up against them both affectionately.

"It is." He confirms, strolling around her and heading towards the kitchen.

Evie turns around, staring after him as he opens the fridge dauntlessly like he owns the house. His crimson eyes roam over the shelves before seeming to light up. He pulls out a bag of grapes and she faces him fully.

One thing she has learned about him within the few days she has known him is that he seems fond of fruits. He ordered a banana split sundae, after all. She raises her hand in front of her, staring at it.

Perhaps it is rather obvious she still feels a bit ill. By looking in the mirror before coming down here, she definitely looks it. However, how he looked at her and grabbed onto her hand, how he traced her palm with his fingers and the way he appeared to have confirmed something, it's almost as if the great King knows just exactly what is wrong. Lowering her hand, she looks back at him.

He's now standing by the window, gazing out into the backyard placidly. The bag of grapes he once had is now sitting atop the granite counter, although he now holds a grape-filled stem between his fingers. He uses his perfectly aligned and pearly teeth to take the green fruit into his mouth. Her brows furrow.

She recalls how he warned her not to tell Kirei what she experienced—how he protected her. His otherworldly powers and how he walked her home are among the things she recalls. Then, she finds herself thinking of now. He's here in her house. She's not sure how he managed to get inside, but she's curious as to why he's really here along with other things.

"Gilgamesh," She speaks while walking into the kitchen. His vibrant eyes look her way when she sits at the counter, taking a stem of grapes for herself. "Do you really think this house is nice?"

"This house does lack some ideal qualities." He answers idly. "However, it is nicer than that dusty church by far. It will suffice for me."

"Suffice for you?" She repeats with widened eyes. "Wait, does that mean you're staying here?"

"For the time being, yes." He smirks, moving to lean against the counter across from her. His eyes pierce hers. "Now, what is it that you really want to ask me? Speak whatever is on your mind without any qualms."

Her lips part at how easily he read her. It truly is almost as if she's an open book. Slowly, her eyes roam away from his and stare at his chest with an unfocused gaze. The breeze outside causes the rose bush planted just outside the window to brush against the house, creating a discordant sound.

Gilgamesh detects her hesitation with ease, catching how she shivers the tiniest bit. Ever since yesterday, she has been acting quite different around him. Cautious and scared. If he's being honest, he finds it quite irksome.

"Are you still frightened of me, Evie?" He asks, and she shakes her head with a small smile that makes his eyes widen a notch.

Although her rich brown orbs are tired, they hold a sparkle. That smile she wears makes her features soften pleasantly like warming chocolate. He watches as she pulls a grape off of the stem she holds and brings it to her mouth. She only answers him after she swallows.

"No, I'm not." She rests her chin in her palm. "I find what you're capable of scary, but after you protected and watched over me yesterday, I don't have a reason to be scared of you. But," Her smile grows sheepish and her head tilts. "It took me until just now to realize that. I was just wondering why you're here, and how you even got in here, and what exactly happened yesterday."

The moment his eyes widen the slightest bit, Oliver hops onto the countertop gracefully. The feline meows and Evie frowns slightly, setting her stem of grapes aside. Gilgamesh watches as she moves over and takes the fluffy cat into her hands, muttering how he's not supposed to be on the counter.

Instead of setting Oliver down on the floor, she holds him to her chest, smiling at him like he's her precious child. She takes a seat in the stool closest to her, running her fingers through Oliver's fur.

"Yesterday," Gilgamesh's crimson orbs move away from her and towards the window. "You came in contact with a bounded field. Because of that contact, your latent magical circuits were roused which is why you feel unwell. Your body isn't used to it."

Evie stares at Gilgamesh, the sunlight streaming into the room hitting him in all the right spots. Shadows form on his features along with the most perfect highlights. His vivid eyes seem to glow, and even though he's not looking her way, she nods slowly.

She doesn't know what a "bounded field" is, nor does she know what "magical circuits" are. This is the first time she's hearing such terms. Despite that, she believes him instantly and effortlessly. He's a wise King who knows much more than she does. Although it's more than tempting for her to ask what those things are right here and now, she keeps quiet and lets him continue in answering her questions.

"As for how I got in here, it was rather quite simple." He smirks proudly, eating another grape. "I am the one and only true King, as if something as little as locked doors could keep me out. All I need do is enter spirit form. In that form, I can break the boundary of physics with ease."

After that, he looks her way once more. His smirk fades at her expression. Her eyes are somewhat wide, and her head is tilted to the side like that of a confused puppy. Oliver has returned to the floor at some point, and her hands now rest limply in her lap. She has not the slightest clue what he's talking about, and it makes him feel as if he's simply telling a fairytale. How irritating.

The muscle in his right eye twitches and he faces her fully. His actions make her straighten her posture, and she grows somewhat tense when he moves to sit across from her. After he swallows another grape, he gazes at her seriously.

"Listen closely to what I'm about to tell you, Evie. It's evident you don't understand any of these terms, or what exactly happened, so I am now going to make it so you do understand." He notifies. "What you're about to learn must not be spoken to anyone by any means. This knowledge will undoubtedly get you killed if the word gets out. Do you understand?"

The way he's looking at her so severely and his spoken words make her eyes widen. It reminds her of just yesterday in that ominous church. What she saw all those years ago, and even what she just witnessed yesterday, those things can apparently get her killed.

However, Gilgamesh is going to explain in depth what those things actually are. It's overwhelming, honestly. It's hard to believe. She's been so curious about that black hole for the longest, even more so since Gilgamesh revealed that's when he gained his "physical body." Yes, she really wants to know, _and yet…_

"Is it really okay?" She questions softly, fiddling with her fingers. "It's almost like I'm about to step into a world I have no business in. Would it be better if I didn't know? And if knowing these things could get me killed, then..." She swallows thickly. "I don't know if I should know."

"What you currently know already can get you killed despite not knowing the details." He states evenly with a smirk. "So, why not know more about it? You won't be digging your grave any deeper. It's already too deep for you to climb out of regardless."

"I-I see," She stutters, icy cold sweat trickling down the side of her face.

Gilgamesh laughs in amusement at her horrified expression, setting his stem of grapes atop the sleek countertop. His eyes that have shut during his laughter slowly open, his lips curving upwards into an appeasing smile that makes her heart stammer.

"How deep your grave is doesn't matter, I will pull you out of it." He murmurs, crimson orbs glinting with something fervent. "May it be the Gods or the mongrels who crawl upon this earth, you shall fear no one. I will be the safeguard of your very existence. This is my decision."

After that declaration, a warmth has definitely gathered in Evie's cheeks. Even she can see the fiery red glow they are giving off. That was an extremely upholding thing for him to say, and it makes her feel so much at ease. She's grateful. This decision of his, is it why he's chosen to stay here? What even led him to this? Whatever the reason, he has consoled her again.

"What's wrong? Have you caught a fever?" Gilgamesh's voice brings her out of her thoughts, and she shakes her head with a smile.

"No. I'm just touched, is all. You're consoling me again. Also," She grins widely, her next words earning her the most intense glare. She giggles lightly. "It was almost like you were reciting a sentimental poem."

"For your sake, I will overlook those words. I've never been interested in such frivolous things." He growls out, his eyelid twitching in his irritated state. "Do not make me regret my decision. Nevertheless, back to our original topic."

The remainder of Evie's smile fades away entirely. A stray cloud moves over the sun and casts a shadow onto the world, and as a result the once bright room grows dark. Her earthy orbs widen when his pupils grow slim.

"Evie, have you heard of the Holy Grail War?"

Her eyelashes flutter as she blinks in surprise, taken aback. She draws in a sudden breath, that question repeating itself in her head. Just like that, it's like arctic air has filled the room. It's another new term, but this one oddly shakes her to the core.

"Holy… Grail War?"


	8. Chapter 8

**UmiNight Angel Neko:** yup , only forward from here ~ (^人^)

 **Blu3b3rryT3a:** haha ~ I'm trying to do Gilgamesh's great looks some justice, ehe. Evie really is such a sweetheart. ❤ ha, thank you very much! (＾▽＾)

 **Hero of Justice Roxas:** Caster Gil is so great, and I'm so happy they started an anime with Caster Gil in it! I've been keeping up with it and it's so great, and it's assisting me in writing this greatly. ❤ thank you so much !

 **Guest:** sorry for taking a while, I'm a very busy person these days. Along with other stories I'm writing, I'm also a full time college student taking complex classes. ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД`)ヽ(￣ω￣ ) . I'll try harder to update more frequently.

 **XenoLucifer:** oohh, thank you! I'm trying to be a little different when it comes to writing this story and Evie, although i completely agree w you! More sides to Evie will definitely be shown soon, as this is only the beginning. ❤ thank you so much for reading.

 **King of Heroes Gilgamesh:** aahhh, thank you so much! I'm trying, ha ~ thank you so much for reading. ❤

 **IvoryGlass:** thank you so so much! truly, I'm so happy you're enjoying this. more interactions for you ~ ! And thanks very much for reading. *:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*

 **Guest:** more for you ~ ! thanks so much for reading ! o(≧▽≦)o

 **Ariel Wild:** wow, thank you so much, really ! that makes me very happy. I hope you can continue to enjoy this. ❤ thank you so much for reading !

 **SerenaCrimsonEternity:** continuing for you ~ !

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 **thank you to everyone again, and thank you so much for your patience. I apologize for the wait !**

 **once again I'm so happy you're enjoying this, and I continue to work hard so that you can continue to!**

 **please enjoy**

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* * *

The Holy Grail War—a war in which seven mages are chosen by the Grail itself. Those mages become masters, summoning heroic spirits of the past which are referred to as "servants," and partaking in fierce battles while utilizing command seals. The winning pair is supposed to be able to claim the Holy Grail and have any wish granted. Yes, that's how it's _supposed_ to be.

The Fuyuki Grail is corrupt and a manifestation of All The World's Evils. It causes great destruction. Just ten years ago that destruction unfolded upon the city—and Evie witnessed that with her own eyes. The black hole she seen, _that was the Grail._

Mages, magecraft, heroic spirits, _she now knows about it all._ She can't help but to shiver in unease now that she knows exactly what a "familiar" is. Somebody was spying on her, and she doesn't know who it could possibly be or why. All of this information is overwhelming.

Gilgamesh was a servant summoned to fight in the Fourth Holy Grail War. He was of the Archer class, the other classes being Saber, Caster, Assassin, Rider, Lancer, and Berserker. During the final stages of the war, Gilgamesh was bathed in that black liquid that came pouring out of the Grail. In that moment he was no longer a "spirit."

He gained a physical body, or in other words was reincarnated into the world. He no longer needs a master to anchor himself and can act independently. In order to blend in for the last ten years, he drank a potion of temporary youth from his limitless collection of treasures, which explains why he looks so young as he does now. He could easily pass for someone in their late teens.

She has learned so much today, and deep down inside she's happy to know of the world around her she's been blind too. The world really is nothing like it seems. One of the most surprising things is that Gilgamesh was a servant to someone else.

She can't imagine the great King following orders from anybody. Perhaps he was being controlled by "command seals." She doesn't know the tiny details of his time during the Fourth Grail War, but she knows the gist of it. Of course, she would like to know more, but this is enough for now.

Besides, her mind is elsewhere and clouded by something much more shocking. This is something that makes her forget how to breathe, something that's capable of making her grow very pale. She repeats this statement out loud.

"Hina… was a master?" Evie whispers, staring at Gilgamesh with eyes that resemble a deer caught in the headlights of a swiftly approaching vehicle.

"According to that dubious priest, yes." He answers smoothly.

Evie leans back in her seat, drawing in a deep breath. It's no wonder to her now that Hina was the only one who believed her surreal claims, because she herself was part of that world. Part of her is sad Hina didn't tell her what Gilgamesh just revealed to her, but it makes perfect sense as to why she kept quiet. Her memory of such things was wiped clean. There's no way she could've told her, but that is what's weird.

Turning her head, Evie looks out the window. Morning has passed and now it's the middle of the day. The sun is high in the sky and the hottest part of the day is growing near. A flock of birds soar overhead, and she rests her chin in the palm of her hand with furrowed brows.

Gilgamesh easily takes notice of her troubled expression. It's rather obvious with how her lips wear a pout and the slight narrowing of her dark eyes. Before he can comment on it, she asks a question that he didn't expect.

"Are you sure that Hina lost her memory?" She inquires softly, her free hand fiddling with her now bare grape stem. Easily, she can see its reflection on the countertop.

"Do you think that's false?"

His own eyes narrow slightly, not in curiosity like Evie's, but rather displeasure. It's clear that she's severely doubting that Hina lost her memory. Did that priest give him false information? Lie to him even? Another thought strikes him, and this thought is confirmed when Evie speaks again.

"Well," She murmurs while looking towards the large window. Oliver is sitting just before it, stalking any nearby birds. "It just strikes me as strange. Hina was the only one who believed anything I said revolving around that black hole— the Grail, I mean."

Evie stands from her seat, and Gilgamesh watches her every movement with a speculating gaze. She grabs her bare grape stem along with his own, walking over and plopping them into the trash. Her movements are slow in her thoughtful state.

"Not only that," She turns towards him, though now standing quite a distance away. "When I traveled to the Babylonia state, she was so insistent that I bring back a relic. Not a souvenir like a necklace or bracelet, but an actual ancient artifact. I couldn't get my hands on one, and when I told her that she looked really bothered..." Her dark orbs shine with unease. "To claim she lost her memory doesn't make any sense."

To hear this even makes Gilgamesh baffled himself. Now knowing this information, claiming that Hina lost her memory is completely ludicrous. He swiftly organizes his thoughts in his head, almost as if he's putting together a complex puzzle. How interesting.

It's very unlikely Kirei lied to him. Not only would Kirei know better than to lie to him, but what Evie has just explained proves it. He finds himself smirking in utmost amusement. Perhaps that was Hina's goal all along—to trick those around her into believing that she really lost her memory. However, he frowns slightly.

Just as it makes sense that Hina didn't lose her memory, it doesn't make sense as well. If she had signed a Self-Geis Scroll which clearly stated her memory would be wiped clean along with her family, how does she remember? This conversation merely only served to open up more plot holes.

"Gilgamesh," Evie brings him out of his thoughts, and he looks over. He raises a brow, noticing how she looks pale.

"What is it, mongrel?"

Evie swallows thickly, drawing in a sudden breath in hopes to ease her nerves. It doesn't work. Her fingers tremble as something concerning swarms in her mind. Hina wanting a relic at this particular time… _could it mean…?_ The temperature in the room feels as if it's dropping as she asks a frightening question.

"When is the next Holy Grail War?"

Gilgamesh's crimson orbs narrow the tiniest bit as he smirks in a way that makes her shiver. He turns in his seat so he's facing her, propping his arm up onto the counter. His fingers drum against the polished countertop.

"The next one should be occurring within the next few months or so, as I predicted."

That's what Evie feared. Another one of the surreal and terrifying events is going to take place within her lifespan? Did Hina plan on participating again? Is that why she asked for a relic? It has to be. Why else would she ask for such a thing? She wanted to summon a servant—one originating from ancient Mesopotamia. Could she have wanted to summon Gilgamesh, the hero her and herself were always smitten with?

She lets out a breathy and nervous laugh, brushing her hair back. If Hina was still alive, how would she react seeing the one and only Gilgamesh sitting in her kitchen? Regardless of that, there is something she's more curious about.

"...Are you participating in it?" She whispers in question.

"Of course." He chuckles as if it was obvious, and perhaps it was.

She grows numb all over at that. Him taking part in such a war must mean only one thing— _he has a wish_. Her eyes widen as she recalls something, and even more color drains from her face. As the Grail is now, it cannot grant any wishes. It's just a curse. He knows that all too well. What is he trying to accomplish?

"B-But isn't the Grail cursed? Why would you want that?" She asks a little too desperately, a quiver in her voice.

"It should be obvious." He chuckles, evidently amused at her petrified form. "To eradicate all of humanity."

The breeze outside morphs into a howling wind, and the pointed thorns of the bush right outside scrape against the window. Between those two sounds and the sound of her own roaring pulse, that's all she can hear. Gilgamesh wants to eradicate all of humanity? But, _why?_

Does he desire to be the only living person on the planet? That doesn't make sense for a tyrannical King like himself. However, nothing seems to make sense these days. Her eyes squeeze shut.

Evie's lips press together firmly as she swallows forcefully, then parting when she lets out a weighty breath. Fear starts to creep up inside of her, spreading throughout her bloodstream and rendering her cold. Will she be forced to witness that same scene that happened all those years ago?

If the Grail is to appear just like back then, but consume the entire planet, this world will be nothing but a barren wasteland. Innocent people are going to be killed unjustly, nature and homes will be destroyed beyond repair. For what reason would he need to do that?

Evie's eyelids slowly raise, and Gilgamesh's crimson orbs widen ever so slightly. Her features radiate a calmness, although her eyes resemble a lion's rather than a gazelle's he once compared them to. _Rejection._ That's what they roar. Denial of his wish. She's denying him, the one and only true King?

Her insolence makes him stand. Much like a predator, he closes in on her. Her eyes don't break away from his and not even slightly does she shy away. She only takes a step back when he forces her due to close proximity.

Before Evie even knows it, her back is pressed against the window. Her arms coil around herself firmly to suppress trembles when Gilgamesh's hand slams rather roughly above her head and against the glass. He has her trapped with no way out. His enraged eyes frighten her like nothing else, yet, by some miracle, she holds her ground.

It looks like he may kill her right here and now, however, her fear is slowly being washed away the longer she stares into his eyes. Is it because he protected her before that she's able to remain firm like this? Or, is it because he claimed she will fear no one? He kept her alive this long already, and she finds solace in that single fact.

"Gilgamesh," Evie begins in a serene manner, being careful not to provoke him further. Her voice is soft and barely discernible. She can't think of any words to change his mind, and she merely finds herself wistfully thinking out loud. "You really are more stouthearted than I thought, more so than anyone else."

•○●○•

" _Are you sulking, Gilgamesh?" Enkidu looks over their shoulder with placid eyes and upward curved lips. "Don't. For you are the one and only King, far more stouthearted than anyone else."_

•○●○•

Those words coming from his one and only dear friend served as a comfort. However, such similar words coming from this mongrel in front of him only serve as frustration. How can two very different beings be so comparable? His fingers curl into rigid fists.

He glowers at her with a deathly silence, and her arms slowly go limp and hang at her sides. Her dark and rich orbs continue to stare into his crimson ones, although slowly but surely losing their fortitude. They slowly shut and he gazes at her hopeless face.

Even though she disagrees with his actions, she doesn't speak against them. It's evident she knows she's powerless against him. She's one of the very few on this planet who acknowledge his power and divine presence.

The strong sunlight streaming into the room just behind her shines onto her form, making some of her beige strands of hair appear white. His eyes are drawn to the alluring sight, mainly the white feather lodged into her ponytail that must've escaped the pillow she used. He reaches for it, removing it gently and causing her eyelids to rise.

Staring at the fluffy feather, he rotates it between his fingers before letting it drift to the ground. Removing his arm from above her head, he takes a step back and releases her from the cage of his own body he had her trapped in. He moves so his back is to her, and his entire form glows gold.

"Do try your best to survive when that day comes," He says, his voice becoming a mere echo as he starts to disappear. "You survived the Grail once before, so surely you can withstand it again. Consider this your final test of worth, Evie."

In no time at all, his form vanishes entirely, and golden specks of light are left behind. Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, Evie sinks to the ground. Desiring such a thing— _how very much like him._

She stares ahead into the depths of her house, realizing now that she's very much alone. Wrapping her arms around her folded knees and hugging them to her chest, she draws in a deep breath. Her final test of worth, what does he mean by that? Is she currently seen as worthless in his eyes?

Her legs straighten out and she looks over her shoulder, eyes boring into the bloomed rose just beyond the window. If she was worthless, surely she would have perished by now. She wishes she could talk to someone close to Gilgamesh to understand him better. Right now, the great King's words are contradicting, and that wish of hers is impossible. There's no one she can talk to regarding the King.

Gilgamesh only had one friend throughout his lifetime, and that friend of his is gone. Their story has been pieced together over time as more surviving parts of the historic slate that recorded their story have been found. However, even with those found pieces, there is still little known about them.

There are many holes and empty spaces, and their story as people know it now is hardly understandable. Little is known. Their history is essentially nonexistent. But, there is one thing she knows. The name of Gilgamesh's one and only friend.

 _It's Enkidu_.


	9. Chapter 9

**Blu3b3rryT3a:** Gil really is quick to anger, isn't he?╰(▔∀▔)╯i truly enjoy your speculations! i also wonder about the same things, haha ~ thank you so much, i hope you're well. ❤

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 **thankful.** ❤

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Whipping ashen air, a black night that casts profound shadows, and single light source radiating from an ominous scene. Everything is being purged and the murky magma is spreading. The giant hole in the starry sky grows more vast for every second that goes by. A nightmare prospering in reality. Or, perhaps a dream in a dream—for that's what she wanted to believe.

Wants are just a selfish desire for one's own contentment. Even if she got what she wanted and woke up from this nightmare, how could she be content with dreaming such a scene? Furthermore, she's not blinded enough to claim this is fake. As surreal as it is, it very much happened. She was there, and now she's reminiscing. A hand comes down harshly onto her shoulder.

Evie's dark brown eyes fly open, resulting in her gazing up at the pale ceiling. She blinks a few times while her lips part to draw in a deep breath. It's been a while since she dreamed of that night, only this time it felt much scarier than the rest—more real too. She can't help but to wonder if it's because she now knows what truly happened.

Slowly, she sits up and looks around her room, her eyes instantly being drawn to Oliver resting at the end of her bed. Upon sitting up, she realizes she feels considerably better than a few days ago. A headache no longer tortures her, and her achy limbs have all but mended.

Although she feels much better, something has been plaguing her mind, growing more severe as the days go by. It's something that somehow brings relief, but also much worry and even fear. Wistful thoughts like these are something she's never been fond of, because she's never sure of what she should be feeling.

She crawls off of her bed, sliding on her furry house slippers and hurrying out of her room. Her minty nightgown flows as she swiftly moves down the stairs. Oliver unexpectedly runs past her and she smiles hopefully. However, that smile fades when she's greeted with an empty house. She removes her hand from the rail and lets it hang limply at her side.

Today marks day seven. It's been an entire week since she last seen Gilgamesh. The relief she felt was from going back to living a normal life with nothing else involved. There were no familiars and eerie priests, no frightening supernatural powers or bounded fields. However, she can now safely conclude that she feels more worry than anything else.

Is Gilgamesh well? Did she upset him by not supporting his desire for the Grail? Not to mention their promise has been broken. She was supposed to treat him to a meal every day, but that hasn't been happening. He must be angry about that as much as she's distressed. Surely she can find him at the church, but she knows better than to go back there.

Lately she's been going into the city and wandering aimlessly in hopes to find him, or sometimes she'll even spend the day at home and wait for him to reappear. Both scenarios are evidently in vain. Running her fingers hopelessly through her loose hair, she looks out the kitchen window.

Although the vast variety of plants outside are a healthy green, they are starting to wilt beneath the hot summer sun. Judging from the positioning of the bright star, it's clear she slept in longer than normal. After she makes herself some breakfast, she'll water the plants. She's sure her mother will have a fit if she comes home to withering plants that she worked so hard to garden and preserve.

Evie doesn't waste any time at all to get her breakfast prepared. She settles with making steamed white rice and tamagoyaki, something simple and quick, yet satisfying to her taste buds. She even prepares some freshly cut fruit.

She eats her rolled omelette silently while occasionally sipping some warm green tea. It's silent in the house, the only sound coming from her fork occasionally bumping against her ceramic plate, and the bell on Oliver's collar as he plays with a ball of yarn.

The days she spends when her mother is away are often solitary like this. There was always a sense of relaxation being alone like this, although lately she's been becoming lonely. Certainly, Hina's passing is contributing to this growing sensation, and perhaps even Gilgamesh's disappearance. She would be lying to herself if she claimed she didn't miss him.

He frightens her at times and is overly pompous, but that's just who he is. His attitude isn't much different than what she imagined it would be when all she had to go off of was ancient texts. However, she never imagined that he would be so consoling.

The most she got out of reading about the great King is the gist of his personality, and meager details about his friend and their adventures. Sometimes she considers what she knows about him to be equivalent to nothing.

She finishes her meal and cleans up her mess, washing any dishes and putting them away. The only mess she willingly leaves behind is the untouched bowl of fruit. It stays positioned on the center of the granite counter-top as she heads back upstairs to put on some proper clothes, and even as she heads outside into the summer heat.

Now wearing olive shorts that tie at the waist and a fitted white tank top, she heads over by the shed where the garden hose resides. Her loose waving hair tumbles over her shoulders as she bends over to grab it, allowing the sun to caress the back of her neck. The brick pavement she stands atop of with her bare feet slowly start to smolder her soles, resulting in her letting out a childish squeak.

Quickly twisting the knob to turn the water on, she aims the hose at her feet and sprays. The cold water cools her poor toes down instantly and she lets out a content sigh. Perhaps she should've put her sandals on, but she always prefers walking around barefoot, especially at home.

She waters each and every plant, which leaves behind glistening droplets of water that glide down their green leaves and colorful petals. Insects fly over and drink from those droplets as she moves on, her feet leaving behind a trail of wet prints.

Her dark earthy orbs squint against the bright sun as she walks around the gleaming pool, and towards a pink hydrangea plant towards the end of the pavement. She waters the lush bush, staring ahead at the lone wisteria tree down the hill.

The warm breeze makes it sway, and some foliage and petals break off from it and flow freely towards the dense forest further down the hill. Butterflies flutter amongst with wild lavender by the tree line, and the water from the hose along with the natural light cast a rainbow across her vision. She gazes at it, her glossy pink lips slowly parting. Sweat trickles down her face.

"Evie."

She turns quickly at the abrupt voice, jumping in fright and tensing out of reflex. The rainbow of color she was staring at has now morphed into a solid blood red. Her breath gets caught in her throat.

His gaze is nonchalant at first just before his vivid orbs widen as if he's been caught by surprise, then his stare darkens in a way that makes her want to run and hide. Water is gliding down his face and realization hits her forcefully.

She drops the hose, ceasing its flow of water while her complexion grows pale. With trembling limbs, she takes a single step towards the doused and livid King. He's standing in a fresh puddle and his head tilts back the tiniest bit, his eyes seeming to glow as he glares at her intensely.

"Do you find this amusing, _mongrel?_ " He speaks in a calm voice laced with animosity.

Once he asks that question, she wonders why he would think that. He startled her and she wasn't really thinking when she faced him with the hose still shooting water. It feels as if his gaze will slaughter her at any second, and of course that frightens her. She's not amused in the slightest, she's scared. But, more than anything, she's happy.

He asked that single question because there is a smile on her face, and she only now realizes it. The delight and relief she feels at his return is more potent than her other emotions. His lips downturn further when she lets out a laugh, his irritation reaching new heights.

Coming to a stop a mere few inches in front of him, her eyelids drape over her rich eyes as she bows in greeting. When she straightens up, her eyes crack open and reveal a frisky glint while her lips curve upwards into an equally frisky smile. Gilgamesh's eyelid twitches.

"That's what you get for leaving without a goodbye." She says, jokingly of course. However, the King of Heroes doesn't take jokes all that well and even Evie knows she's pushing her bounds. So, she adds on. "I was really worried, you know."

"Oh?" He steps towards her with a sinister aura radiating from him.

With movements as smooth a stalking lion, he brings his hands up onto her shoulders. His damp skin feels cold against her flesh, a sensation that feels pleasurable since she's been out in the heat for an ample amount of time. Yet, a skittish shiver shoots down her spine when he moves closer to her. A small bead of sweat rolls down her temple.

His eyes are as close as they've ever been, and she finds herself mesmerized with their color. They are bewitching and unfathomable, this feature of his being the first thing that really induced her upon their first meeting. Her lips part to utter the finest apology right when his pupils narrow and show an impish spark.

All it takes is a simple push to send her falling backwards into the pool with a yelp. Droplets of water erupt along with the sound of a big splash. She's underwater for a total of three seconds before her head pokes out of the rippling surface. Bringing her hands up, she rubs at her eyes to try and rid of the water burning them, while making a wry face at the water that invaded her nose. Perhaps she deserved that. A shadow passes over her.

Her eyelids raise, and although her vision is currently blurry, she can easily distinguish Gilgamesh's figure walking by. Lowering her hand, she grips the stone edge of the pool to keep herself head above water. Gilgamesh disappears into the house through the sliding glass back door, and Evie stares after him with parted lips.

From staring into his eyes and catching a glimpse of his face just now as he passed by, he seems a bit glum today. Could that be right? Did something happen during the time he was away, or did she upset him just now? She climbs out the pool quickly, wringing out her attire and hair while following after him.

The cool air of her house caresses her the instant she steps inside. Her dark brown orbs are drawn to Gilgamesh. The droplets of water sticking to his golden tresses glisten, making his appearance appear more regal than normal. He passes by the kitchen counter with peculiarly heavy steps, reaching out to grab the bowl of fruit she had left behind.

As he plops down onto the couch, she moves over and opens a nearby cabinet that she stores the kitchen towels in. She grabs one and dries herself off hurriedly until she's no longer dripping, then grabs another and moves over to Gilgamesh. He already is holding the remote and in the process of turning the television on.

"...Gilgamesh?" She inquires softly, standing next to the couch and holding the towel out. She bows in apology. "I'm really sorry. That was uncalled for and improper of me."

Wordlessly, he takes the small towel from her and one-handedly rubs it atop his head, drying his hair. She blinks a few times, his silence making her timid. He's staring past her and at the flat screen that's showing live auto racing. His normally bright crimson eyes are overcast, and she starts to feel worried.

"Are you well?" She asks, fiddling her towel she still holds. "You seem… upset."

"Move, mongrel." His eyes zone in on her, and she tenses at their hostility. "You're blocking the screen."

"S-Sorry!" She squeaks, stepping aside.

Her eyes widen when he tosses the remote aside. It comes in contact with the other end of the couch with great force, bouncing off from the cushion and landing on the floor. The King of Heroes is definitely in a bad mood. Surely she's the cause of it. She sprayed him with the hose, after all.

Whenever she was down, he consoled her without question. She feels like she must do the same for him in order to repay him. _No_. She shakes her head. It's not a matter of repaying a debt, but rather something she wants to do.

"Please, cheer up a bit." She lowers herself onto her knees, clasping her hands together in her lap. "I'm really sorry for what I did, but you snuck up on me—" He's glaring at her once more. "I-I mean, don't let me ruin your day! I'm just one person out of seven billion. I'm insufficient."

"If I considered you insufficient, I would've killed you upon our first meeting." He rebukes, and her chocolate orbs widen. He turns his attention back to the television. "Now, cease talking."

After that, Evie's lips remain sealed. She stares down at her hands before looking at the television. Colorful race cars are zooming across the track, creating skid makes and kicking up dust. If she recalls correctly, he was watching this last time he was here. She turns her head slightly in his direction, studying him.

Even though his crimson orbs are looking at the screen, they aren't focused on it. It's evident the King is in deep thought. With a frown, she scoots over and leans back against the couch. She's nearby Gilgamesh, but far enough away to not agitated him further. Just like him, she's suddenly lost in thought as well. She wonders how she can brighten his mood, and why he thinks more highly of her than anyone else.

It's only when a few minutes go by when Evie stands. Her petite form passes by Gilgamesh quietly, and his eyes follow her as she heads upstairs. Droplets of water splat onto the hardwood floor, her hair still holding a decent amount of pool water. When she's no longer in sight, Gilgamesh lowers his eyelids and sinks back into the pleasant couch.

The quality of sleep he received last night was poor, and upon awakening he was irritable. Additionally, on his way here he witnessed the usual stupidity of the mongrels crawling upon this planet. The human race has truly become outrageous and unworthy of him. Not only that, but this past week has been nothing but irksome. His fingers drum against his thigh.

Instead of finding some way or form to entertain himself as usual, he's been busying himself in an attempt to solve a very complex mystery. The bounded field that surrounded the church—he had assumed Kirei was responsible, _only to find out he wasn't even aware of it_.

Whoever's responsible is clearly skilled when it comes to evasion and secrecy. No mana residue was left behind any where and no tracks were able to be traced. Even inspecting the decaying familiar was in vain, for all it appeared to be was a simple insect.

However, even though he used more energy and time than he wanted to try to solve this mystery, he's not worried in the slightest. They are bound to show up again, and Kirei is keeping a very keen eye on the church itself, so this time they can't possibly be unseen.

For the time being, Gilgamesh will now reside here officially. Not only is this house a massive upgrade from that church, it's clear that whoever this mystery mage is has taken an interest in Evie, _and that brings him severe displeasure_. He brings his hand over his mouth, an unexpected yawn breaking free.

Only when Evie changes out of her damp clothes and blow-dries her hair is when she comes back downstairs. She's dressed in a gray sweatshirt dress to counter the cold air within her house, and carrying a black box as she moves swiftly down the steps. The moment she enters the living room, she freezes.

She stares wide-eyed at Gilgamesh, her eyelashes fluttering as she blinks in surprise. Perhaps she was wrong about him. He had to be just more tired than anything, because if anything else, surely he wouldn't have fallen asleep so quickly.

His chest rises and falls steadily while his back of his head rests against the cushion, and his golden tresses have somewhat fallen over his face. Looking at him now, his normally conceited expression is so placid. It has her questioning if this is even real.

There must never be a moment where he truly allows himself to reach such a peaceful state, at least in front of others. She knows she's fortunate to see such a sight, and she instantly enshrines it in her mind.

Quietly, she sets the box down onto the table and moves her hands into her pockets. Did he have a bad night's rest? What could've exhausted him so much? She frowns slightly. Whatever it may be, she hopes he isn't overworking himself.

She walks over to a nearby storage bench, lifting the wooden lid and pulling out a fleece blanket. Even though he's wearing pants with snakeskin engraving, his white shirt is short-sleeved. He's bound to get cold eventually. If she was overstepping her bounds earlier, now she's balancing on the thin line of demise. Yet, strangely, she's not too worried.

Delicately, she drapes the fluffy blanket over his form. She makes sure it covers his shoulders and the length of his legs, then she pulls the lever on the side of the couch so reclines and he's no longer in a sitting position that'll eventually cause a cramp. Then, before she even knows it, she's on her bedroom balcony and breathing heavily.

Her hand covers her chest as she tries to catch her breath, not even being able to recall the last time she ran so fast. _Not even worried_? She was completely kidding herself. That had to be the most risky thing she's even done. She slumps against the railing, gazing out at the rolling hills with a small pout.

Hopefully when he wakes up his mood will improve. There's not much she can do around the house in fear of waking him up. Perhaps she should visit Hina then afterwards go to the grocery store and get some things to make for dinner. She hums to herself.

What would Gilgamesh like to eat? She knows he likes fruit, but what else? What could he have possibly eaten during his time as ruler? It hits her suddenly, and she straightens up with a grin. _Yes._ She knows just exactly what to make for him, _and it requires a cookbook_.


End file.
